Russia’s invasion of Ukraine one year ago has led to the deaths of thousands of soldiers and Ukrainian civilians — as well as radically reshaped Russia’s social, political and economic fabric.
Russian troops on February 24, 2022 crossed onto Ukrainian soil from three directions in the pre-dawn hours.
High-end estimates of combined total military and civilian deaths is almost 300,000 casualties.
But in the year since Russia launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, Western officials estimate that as many as 180,000 Russian — and 100,000 Ukrainian — troops may have been killed or wounded.
Ukraine places Russia’s battlefield losses at 144,270 as of Feb. 20, 2023, while Russia’s own figure of under 6,000 confirmed deaths has remained unchanged since September.
The United Nations has confirmed 18,955 civilian casualties of Russia’s attack as of Feb. 21, 2023, which includes 8,006 killed and 13,287 injured Ukrainians. Among them are 487 children killed.
Ukrainian national police estimates 16,502 civilian deaths — excluding the unknown number of residents of Mariupol, which was reduced to rubble after three months of Russian bombardments and eventual capture in May.
Western sources say between 30,000-40,000 Ukrainian civilians have lost their lives in the war.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Military claimed that since the war began that its forces had destroyed 3350 Russian tanks, 6593 armored vehicles, 2352 artillery pieces, 471 multiple launch rocket systems, 244 anti-air systems, 299 aircraft, 287 helicopters, 2029 drones, 18 warships, and 5215 other vehicles.
The Russian military said on Wednesday that it had destroyed since the war began 7,994 armored tanks and other armored vehicles, 4,189 artillery pieces, 1038 MLRS. 405 anti-air systems, 387 aircraft, 210 helicopters, 3,222 drones and 8501 other military vehicles.
