Bashkortostan has become the first Russian region where the number of confirmed deaths in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has exceeded 10,000, according to an updated tally by the independent exiled Russian outlet Mediazona. The Insider calculated that, relative to the region’s population, confirmed losses in Bashkortostan are around nine times higher than in Moscow.
Mediazona has identified 10,012 military personnel from Bashkortostan who have been killed in the fighting. As of Jan. 1, 2025, the republic had a population of 4,042,377, according to data from Rosstat, Russia’s state statistics agency. That amounts to about 248 confirmed deaths per 100,000 residents. In Moscow, where Mediazona has confirmed the deaths of 3,577 service members, the figure is 27 per 100,000 residents (the city’s official population is 13,274,285).
Tatarstan ranks second among Russian regions by the number of confirmed losses, with 8,787 deaths. The Sverdlovsk region ranks third, with about 7,700 known deaths. Overall, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, journalists have confirmed the deaths of 230,624 Russian service members.
Mediazona compiles its named list together with the BBC Russian Service and a team of volunteers, who use official statements from authorities, media reports, obituaries, information from relatives, and state registry data. The list includes only cases for which public confirmation has been found, meaning the figures show the minimum number of deaths, not the Russian army’s actual losses.
Separately, Mediazona and Meduza have estimated the total number of deaths using inheritance registry data. According to the latest published estimate, which came out in late 2025, around 352,000 Russian personnel had been killed in the war.
