Hacked data points to almost 394,000 Russian war deaths
The figures come from a leak Russia has not independently confirmed; other analyses put the number higher.
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Hackers say they obtained internal data from Russia’s statistics agency Rosstat showing at least 393,881 Russian deaths in the war against Ukraine. The figures have not been independently verified, and a second hacking group has produced a higher estimate.
The Belarusian group Cyberpartisans says it obtained about 23 terabytes of data together with Silent Crow. According to their analysis, at least 393,881 Russian citizens had died in connection with the war since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as of 27 August 2026.
The group Silent Crow published an estimate of 450,100 deaths. According to Euronews, the difference is because the groups count different categories. The lower estimate is limited to records listing military action or its consequences as the cause of death; the higher count also includes other military and unclear categories.
Rosstat has reported that its systems were hit by a cyberattack between 29 October and 1 November, but according to reports it has not been confirmed that the hackers gained access to the database containing death records. Russia has published no official figures on military losses since September 2022, and Rosstat has published no annual figures on causes of death since 2024.
An independent database by BBC Russian and Mediazona contained about 286,000 deceased Russian servicemen identified by name as of 8 November. The list is incomplete, particularly for the most recent months. A separate analysis of inheritance records by Meduza and Mediazona estimated the number of military deaths at about 350,000 at the end of 2025.
The figures cited by the hackers are in the same order of magnitude as some earlier independent estimates, but this does not confirm the authenticity of the alleged leak. It is unclear which source files were examined, whether records appear more than once and which deaths exactly were coded as military losses.
The news is particularly relevant because Russia restricts official information about the human cost of the war. For Ukraine, Russia and international organisations, a genuinely verified dataset could help assess the demographic and military consequences more accurately. For now, the correct conclusion is narrower: hackers claim to have published figures pointing to a very high death toll, but the numbers are not established.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Hackers say they obtained Rosstat data.
- The published estimates differ from one another.
- Russia publishes no recent official figures on military losses.
- Independent lists of names are incomplete.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that transparency about war casualties is needed so that citizens and parliaments can assess the consequences of war.
Values Transparency, human rights and accountability.
Consequences Fears that disinformation and secrecy leave families and society without reliable information.
Centre
Arguments Wants the data to be seriously investigated, but only after independent technical and demographic verification.
Values Evidence, methodological rigour and journalistic restraint.
Consequences Warns that unsubstantiated figures could undermine trust in reliable casualty records.
Right
Arguments Emphasises the possibility that hostile cyber groups are using the figures for propaganda and psychological warfare.
Values National security and source criticism.
Consequences Fears that the rapid publication of large numbers will further fuel the information war.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article makes only verifiable claims about what hackers and sources say and does not present the death tolls as proven facts. The uncertainty about the source files has been explicitly added.
- uncertain Hackers claim to have obtained about 23 terabytes of Rosstat data. — Euronews and TechRadar report the claim; independent verification is lacking. source
- confirmed Cyberpartisans cites 393,881 deaths and Silent Crow 450,100. — Euronews describes these figures as different hacker estimates. source
- confirmed BBC Russian and Mediazona had about 286,000 deceased people identified by name. — Euronews refers to the joint database. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Russia records at least 393,000 dead servicemen.Now: Hacked data points to at least 393,881 Russian deaths, but the figures have not been independently verified. (The source supports a hacker claim, not an official Russian record.)
Editor's note
The cyberattack has been reported, but the alleged theft of death data and the figures have not been independently confirmed. Therefore, the status is insufficient_sources.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „rusland oekraïne”
- RTL Nieuws — „rusland oekraïne”
- NOS — „rusland oekraïne”