The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says Russian forces have suffered more than 1.2 million casualties since the invasion began in February 2022, including those killed, wounded or missing. The report adds that the pace of losses accelerated significantly last year. CSIS-linked analysis puts Russia’s 2025 losses at roughly 400,000 casualties, even as advances in key sectors slowed to only small gains, in some cases measured in meters per day. The strain has pushed Russia to seek manpower beyond regular recruitment channels, including from the prison system. Ukrainian intelligence estimates that up to 180,000 convicts had been sent to fight by late 2024.
