High Casualties Among Russian Volunteers in Ukraine: A Closer Look at the Human Cost of War
Russian volunteer soldiers have faced high casualties in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, highlighting the severe human cost and the increasing deployment of non-professional fighters. Among these, volunteers—ordinary civilians who joined the armed forces after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022—now constitute the largest group of fatalities on the battlefield. This shift highlights the human cost of the war and the complex socio-economic factors driving people to join the fight.
Daily, Russian media and social networks publish the names and obituaries of those who have died in Ukraine, accompanied by images from their funerals. These records, meticulously collected from various sources, provide a stark reminder of the war’s impact on Russian society. Despite this, the actual number of casualties is believed to be much higher. Many families choose not to disclose the deaths of their loved ones, and the data does not include militia deaths in the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Volunteers, who make up around 20% of all confirmed deaths, have overtaken former prisoners and mobilised soldiers in casualty numbers. The latter groups were previously more prominent due to Moscow’s recruitment of inmates in exchange for pardons. This rise in volunteer casualties is partly due to their deployment in some of the most dangerous areas of the conflict, such as the Donetsk region, where they bolster depleted units.
The personal stories behind these statistics paint a poignant picture of the individuals caught up in the war. One such volunteer was Rinat Khusniyarov, a 62-year-old from Ufa, Bashkortostan. He had been working multiple jobs to support himself before signing up with the Russian army in November last year. Tragically, he was killed less than three months later. His story, like those of many others, reflects the harsh economic realities that compel people to enlist, often without fully understanding the implications.
Reports indicate that many volunteers come from regions of Russia where stable employment is scarce. The promise of higher wages, social benefits, and one-off payments can be enticing, especially in less affluent areas. However, some recruits have expressed regret, stating they were unaware their contracts had no end date. Efforts to exit their service have often been futile, even with the support of pro-Kremlin journalists.
Conditions for these volunteers are often challenging. Accounts from the front lines reveal a lack of adequate training and poor-quality equipment. One soldier described being “thrown out onto the parade ground” with basic gear, receiving no more than a week’s training before being sent directly into combat. Stories like this highlight the disparity between the promises made to recruits and the reality they face.
Russia’s strategy, often described as a “meat grinder” approach, involves sending waves of soldiers into combat with minimal support. According to the Royal United Services Institute, a leading UK defence think tank, the deployment of volunteers in high-risk areas has significantly contributed to the rising number of casualties among Russian forces. In recent weeks, desperate attempts to capture towns like Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine have seen many soldiers losing their lives.
The Russian government appears to be avoiding a new wave of official mobilisation, focusing instead on ramping up volunteer recruitment with increasing incentives. Recruitment efforts have targeted men with debt problems, students, and those facing criminal charges. A new policy even offers those under prosecution the option to go to war in exchange for having their cases dropped.
For those who join, the consequences can be severe. A recent study by the Russian defence ministry highlighted that nearly 40% of soldiers’ deaths result from limb injuries, suggesting inadequate first aid and medical care. Despite the grim outlook, the Russian government continues its push for more recruits, using various tactics to bolster its ranks.
This situation has not gone unnoticed internationally. Several governments, including those of India and Nepal, have called on Russia to stop sending their citizens to fight and to repatriate the bodies of those who have died. However, these appeals have yet to be fully addressed.
The conflict in Ukraine remains a brutal and complex struggle, with volunteers bearing the brunt of the fighting. Their stories, marked by economic hardship, misinformation, and sacrifice, underline the heavy toll the war continues to take on both sides.
For more updates on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the impact on those involved, visit EyeOnLondon for in-depth coverage and insights.
This information first appeared in a report published by the BBC.
