Al Jazeera has looked into the facts of this war in eastern Europe. “Record high deaths in the Russia - Ukraine war: What you should know” (In the war in Russia and Ukraine, the deaths are clearly higher: what you should know). The information from the different sources was collected. Summary below.

How many Ukrainian civilians have died?

In June this year, the Ukrainian authorities reported that the "Russian invaders" had killed 12,000 civilians, including 551 children. The Norwegian Refugee Council (CRL) has reported that this summer Ukraine has recorded the highest number of civilian casualties in three months since 2022. According to the NGO Action on Armed Violence, 95 per cent of the victims occurred in populated areas, while the Donetsk area was the most affected. ENK stated in February that 10,200 civilian deaths and 20,000 injured have been confirmed and that between June and August this year more than 3,200 civilian casualties have been recorded in Ukraine, an increase of 33.7 per cent over last year. In August, 184 civilians died and 856 were injured, the largest number of victims in the second month of the year. In particular, at least 219 civilians died in July and 1,018 were injured on various counts. The United Nations Mission for the Observance of Human Rights in Ukraine also documented in summer the deaths of civilians and a large increase in injuries.

How many Russian civilians have died?

On the other side of the war, Moscow has not made an official assessment of the victims of the bombing. However, several media outlets that have a close relationship with the Russian State occasionally reveal the death of civilians in Syria. The Moscow Times, which mentions the 7×7 independent website, has pointed out that 80 Russian civilians have died since the beginning of the invasion. The TASS media reported two months ago the death of 31 people in an unexpected invasion by Ukraine in Kursk (northeast).

How many Russian soldiers have died?

As for the soldiers, it is impossible to confirm the death toll, as Al Jazeera reported in a statement. Russian independent media Mediazona reported in September that it has identified more than 71,000 Russian soldiers who have died in Ukraine. Thus, citing documents from the U.S. Department of Defense, The Economist reported in July that 462,000 to 728,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, wounded and imprisoned in mid-June. The State of Ukraine, for its part, assures that, until 1 October, it has killed 654,000 Russian soldiers.

How many Ukrainian soldiers?

As far as Ukrainian troops are concerned, the Russian Ministry of Defence estimates that Kiev has lost almost half a million men, according to last month's Russian media RT. Putin stated at a press conference that the losses in Ukraine are five times greater than the Russians, as “Kiev loses at least 50,000 soldiers a month.” A Ukrainian commander told Reuters that only 60-70% of the brigade’s thousands of men remain in military service. The rest is in a state of death, wounded or low, as a result of old age or illness.

Why is it so difficult to calculate casualties?

It's very hard to see the death toll. Marina Mirón, a researcher at the War Research Department at King's College London, has explained to Al Jazeera that governments do not publicly report their casualties to hide information from the enemy about the effectiveness of their operations. One example of this was the Second World War, where each side underestimated its casualties and inflated twice or three times those of the enemy. In addition, only one death is confirmed when the body is found, and the relevant Ministry of Defense sends a statement to the affected family. But many corpses have not been recovered and in the fighting they are considered missing. They may be deserters of the army or prisoners, says Mirón. “If a government does not officially recognize the death of a soldier, it manages to circumvent the obligation to pay the families of the deceased, which has become a problem in Russia and Ukraine,” he added.

Looking forward?

Mirón has also explained that “this war is not sustainable for Ukraine”, as Ukraine “has to deal with many problems: the shortage of troops, the difficult economy and the dependence on Western aid”. “Ukraine has no real strategy nor NATO,” he added. "Russia will have the means to continue in the next two years. Ukraine does not have that time, nor does NATO, because NATO itself has to deal with the shortage of anti-air defence systems,” said Mirón, who added that Ukraine is not a priority for policy makers as the crisis in the Middle East worsens.