Independent Russian media outlets say over 350,000 soldiers have been killed in the war in Ukraine
The total number of Russian military personnel killed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached approximately 352,000 by the end of 2025, according to a joint investigation by Meduza and Mediazona.
The estimate is based on identified casualty lists compiled by Mediazona together with BBC News Russian, as well as data from Russia’s Probate Registry.
According to the investigation, around 261,000 of the deaths involve Russian servicemen who were officially confirmed as killed.
The remaining roughly 90,000 cases involve soldiers declared missing in action through court rulings, typically in situations where bodies were never recovered.
The journalists noted that the estimate does not include foreign nationals who fought alongside Russian forces during the war.
Independent Russian and international media have relied on open-source investigations, obituaries, court records, cemetery data, and inheritance cases throughout the war to estimate Russian military losses, as Moscow continues to limit official disclosure of casualty figures.
Slovak PM holds meeting with Putin in Moscow
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow during Russia’s Victory Day commemorations on May 9.
According to reports by Aktuality.sk and Russian state-aligned media, Fico described it as “a great honour” to be present in Moscow during the celebrations marking the Soviet victory in World War II.
Speaking at the Kremlin, Fico said he wanted to congratulate Putin on what he called Russia’s “greatest national holiday” on behalf of the Slovak government and delegation.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that Fico also claimed a “new Iron Curtain” is emerging in Europe, while suggesting that Slovakia and Russia could still work toward normalizing relations.
During the meeting, Putin said he appreciated that Fico had traveled to Moscow despite difficulties caused after the Baltic states reportedly denied permission for the Slovak government aircraft to cross their airspace.
Putin also stated that Russia remains ready to help ensure Slovakia’s energy security.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and representatives of Rosatom were also present at the meeting.
Fico was reportedly the only serving European Union leader to travel to Moscow for this year’s Victory Day events. However, according to available information, he did not attend the military parade on Red Square itself.
Last year, Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić were the only European leaders to attend the Moscow celebrations. This year, Vučić did not travel to Russia and instead reportedly sent a congratulatory letter.
The Kremlin is taking advantage of the "truce": on the front, the Russians have begun preparations for an offensive
The Russian military is indeed attempting to use the declared ceasefire period to pause active fighting and restore its offensive capabilities, according to Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the Joint Forces Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Speaking on national television, Trehubov said Russian troops had noticeably reduced activity during the day. According to him, Moscow appears to be using the temporary lull to rotate personnel, regroup units, and strengthen positions for future assaults.
“No, they’ve really quieted down now. It’s on this day that they’re really trying to take a break and use that break to rotate, to build up and to generally rebuild their offensive capabilities,” the spokesperson said.
He added that Ukrainian forces are also taking advantage of the reduced intensity of fighting to improve logistics and carry out troop rotations. Trehubov suggested that Russia likely wanted to avoid any major incidents during the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a so-called “holiday ceasefire,” Russian forces continued attacks on Ukrainian territory. On the evening of May 9, Russian drones struck Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing one person and injuring another.
Ukraine says the attacks once again demonstrate that Moscow’s statements about temporary truces cannot be trusted. While military parades and celebrations were taking place in Moscow, Russian troops reportedly continued offensive operations and shelling along the front line.
According to Ukrainian military officials, Russian forces carried out 51 attacks during the day, increasing pressure particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine. The heaviest fighting was reported on the Pokrovsk and Huliaipole fronts, where Russian troops attempted to intensify assaults on Ukrainian positions.