Searching for Russia’s missing soldiers

While Russia’s president continues to insist that his, “special military operation” in Ukraine is succeeding, the estimated number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded in this war tells another story; 1.4 million casualties since February 2022. For that loss, Russia has gained just 2% of Ukraine’s land.

This is the story Vladimir Putin is not telling Russians. Amid parliamentary elections this past weekend, the Kremlin has claimed that most Russians back the president and the war, and it has promoted the political careers of thousands of soldiers back from Ukraine.

But what of their fallen comrades? The BBC’s Olga Ivshina has dedicated the last four years of her career to not just counting Russia’s true death toll, but building a picture of who these lost men were. She joins us on today’s show.

Producers: Mhairi MacKenzie and Hannah Moore

Executive producers: Martine Powers and Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Russian soldiers who were involved in the country's military campaign in Ukraine march during a military parade on Victory Day in central Moscow, Russia, May 2026. Credit: Sputnik/Dmitry Astakhov/Pool via Reuters