Ukraine
RussiaKey figures
Who is fighting
Russia and allies
- Russian Armed Forces
- Rosgvardia (National Guard)
- Forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk 'people's republics' (integrated into Russian forces)
- Africa Corps / former Wagner formations
- Korean People's Army contingent (Kursk, 2024–2025)
- North Korea (troops, artillery and missiles)
- Iran (drones and missiles)
- Belarus (territory and logistics)
- China (dual-use components; reported)
Ukraine
- Armed Forces of Ukraine
- National Guard of Ukraine
- State Border Guard Service
- Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)
- Territorial Defence Forces
- International Legion
- United States (military aid and intelligence; sales since 2025)
- European Union and member states (especially Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Nordic and Baltic states)
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Japan
- Australia
- Turkey (arms sales)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
The conflict began in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatist forces in Ukraine's Donbas region; that war killed roughly 14,000 people before 2022 despite the Minsk agreements. On 24 February 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion aimed at Kyiv. The assault on the capital failed within weeks, and Ukrainian counteroffensives recaptured Kharkiv oblast (September 2022) and the city of Kherson (November 2022). Russia nevertheless claimed to annex four Ukrainian oblasts in September 2022 and dug in along a front now about 1,200 km long.
2023 and 2024 were dominated by attritional fighting: Russia took Bakhmut (May 2023) and Avdiivka (February 2024) at enormous cost; Ukraine's 2023 summer counteroffensive stalled; Ukraine seized a pocket of Russia's Kursk oblast in August 2024 which Russia, reinforced by some 14,000–15,000 North Korean troops, retook by spring 2025. In 2025 Russia pushed slowly toward Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka while massively expanding drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and the power grid. Diplomacy resumed under the second Trump administration: direct Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul (May 2025) produced large prisoner swaps; a Trump–Putin summit in Alaska (August 2025) produced no deal; a US–Russian 28-point plan (November 2025) requiring Ukraine to cede territory was rejected by Kyiv and replaced by a US–Ukrainian 20-point draft.
In 2026 the three countries met in Abu Dhabi (23–24 January and 4–5 February), agreeing prisoner exchanges but not on the central issue, Russia's demand for the rest of Donbas. Russia completed the capture of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Huliaipole in February and claimed Kostiantynivka in July (disputed by Kyiv). Ukraine launched a counteroffensive on the Oleksandrivka front on 11 February that, by Ukrainian figures, regained about 745 km2 by August, and 'Operation Vivaldi' north of Lyman claimed a further 277 km2 by 14 October. A Trump-brokered three-day truce (9–11 May) accompanied a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap but quickly unravelled. Trump announced an 'energy ceasefire' on 14 September and again on 11 October 2026; Ukraine said Russia kept striking power plants and Russia never confirmed a deal. Ukraine replaced its commander-in-chief (Mykhailo Drapatyi for Oleksandr Syrskyi) in July 2026 and has struck dozens of Russian refineries and ports.
The human cost is uncertain. The UN had verified 17,257 civilians killed and 53,693 injured by the end of July 2026, a minimum; July 2026 (437 killed) was the deadliest month for civilians since May 2022 and September 2026 (328 killed, 2,105 injured) was 85% worse than a year earlier. About 5.76 million Ukrainians were refugees abroad (April 2026) and 3.9 million were displaced inside the country (June 2026). Military losses are contested: independent journalists have confirmed by name more than 258,000 Russian dead and more than 103,000 Ukrainian dead, while Western intelligence estimates put total Russian casualties at 1.3–1.5 million including roughly 500,000 killed, and Ukrainian casualties at 525,000–625,000 including 125,000–150,000 killed (CSIS, July 2026).
Recent developments
- 16 October 2026UN monitoring mission reports 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in September 2026, 85% more than a year earlier, as Russia intensifies attacks on energy infrastructure before winter. source ↗
- 14 October 2026Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps says phase four of Operation Vivaldi north of Lyman ended with 277 km2 and 16 settlements recaptured across all phases (Ukrainian claim). source ↗
- 13 October 2026Zelensky says Russia has struck at least six energy facilities since Trump declared an 'energy ceasefire' on 11 October; the Kremlin says only that 'contacts are ongoing'. source ↗
- 10 October 2026Russian strikes kill 20 people in Zaporizhzhia; two days earlier strikes on two passenger buses in Kramatorsk killed at least 33. source ↗
- 28 September 2026Mediazona and BBC Russian confirm the names of 258,989 Russian soldiers killed (to 21 Sept), adding more than 10,000 names in two weeks after a leaked body-exchange list. source ↗
- 19 September 2026Trump signs the Sanctioning Russia Act allowing tariffs of up to 100% on buyers of Russian oil; US envoys Witkoff and Kushner visited Kyiv and Moscow on 5–8 September under brief mutual pauses on strikes against the two capitals. source ↗
- 29 August 2026A Russian strike on a weapons depot in Myla, Kyiv oblast, kills at least 37; Kyiv itself suffers its deadliest 2026 attacks on 2 July (31 killed) and 6 July (19 killed). source ↗
- 8 May 2026Trump says Putin and Zelensky accepted a three-day truce from 9 May and a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange; the first 205 Ukrainian POWs return on 15 May. source ↗
Timeline
- 18 March 2014Russia annexes Crimea; war with Russian-backed separatists begins in Donbas in April 2014.
- 24 February 2022Russia launches a full-scale invasion from the north, east and south; the drive on Kyiv fails by early April.
- 11 November 2022Ukraine liberates Kherson city after retaking most of Kharkiv oblast in September; Russia claims annexation of four oblasts.
- 20 May 2023Russia captures Bakhmut after the war's longest battle; Ukraine's summer counteroffensive later stalls.
- 6 August 2024Ukraine seizes part of Russia's Kursk oblast; Russia, with North Korean troops, retakes it by spring 2025.
- 15 August 2025Trump–Putin summit in Alaska ends without agreement; direct Istanbul talks in May 2025 had produced record prisoner swaps.
- 20 November 2025US–Russian 28-point peace plan requiring Ukrainian territorial concessions is rejected by Kyiv, which drafts a 20-point counter-plan with Washington.
- 23 January 2026First US–Ukraine–Russia trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi; a second round follows on 4–5 February. Prisoner swaps agreed, no deal on Donbas.
- 25 February 2026ISW confirms full Russian control of Pokrovsk after Myrnohrad and Huliaipole fell earlier in February; Ukraine's Oleksandrivka-front counteroffensive (from 11 Feb) makes February the first month since 2024 in which Ukraine gained more ground than it lost.
- 9 May 2026Trump-brokered three-day ceasefire (9–11 May) with a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange; the truce quickly unravels.
- 21 July 2026Zelensky replaces commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi; Russia claims Kostiantynivka (3 July), which Ukraine denies.
- 14 September 2026Trump announces a Russia–Ukraine 'energy ceasefire'; Ukraine strikes the Syzran refinery hours later and Russia never confirms a deal.
- 11 October 2026Trump again declares an energy ceasefire; Kyiv reports at least six Russian strikes on energy facilities within two days.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 331,000 | 870,000 | Low = sum of documented floors: 258,989 Russian soldiers confirmed dead by name (Mediazona/BBC, to 21 Sept 2026) + 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers officially confirmed killed (Zelensky, Feb 2026) + 17,257 civilians verified by OHCHR (end-July 2026). High = sum of upper estimates: BBC Russian estimate of up to 649,618 Russian dead (16 Oct 2026) + BBC estimate of ~200,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed (Feb 2026) + the verified civilian minimum (the real civilian toll, e.g. in Mariupol, is believed far higher). Le Monde estimated ~500,000 total deaths in February 2026. Figures mix named counts and statistical estimates; neither government publishes full data. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | 313,989 | 849,618 | Russia: 258,989 confirmed by name (Mediazona/BBC Russian, to 21 Sept 2026; Mediazona added 17,000+ more names by 9 Oct after a leaked body-exchange list); probate-based Mediazona/Meduza estimate ~352,000 dead to end-2025 (excl. DPR/LPR militias); UK, NATO and GCHQ estimates ~500,000 killed (2026); BBC Russian upper estimate 649,618 (16 Oct 2026). Ukraine: 55,000 officially confirmed (Feb 2026) with ~90,000+ missing; UALosses open-source list 103,418 dead and 97,938 missing (Oct 2026); CSIS 125,000–150,000 killed (July 2026); BBC ~200,000 (Feb 2026). Russia's MoD claim of 1.5 million Ukrainian casualties and Ukraine's General Staff claim of 1,559,230 Russian losses (15 Oct 2026) are not independently verifiable. kyivindependent.com ↗ |
| Civilians killed | 17,257 | – | OHCHR/HRMMU verified 17,257 civilians killed and 53,693 injured in Ukraine from 24 Feb 2022 to end-July 2026; OHCHR stresses the real figures are considerably higher because verification in occupied and besieged areas (e.g. Mariupol) is incomplete. January–September 2026 alone: 2,570 killed, 15,211 injured (59% above the same period of 2025). Civilian deaths inside Russia from Ukrainian strikes (hundreds) are not included. statista.com ↗ |
| Wounded | 1,330,000 | 1,530,000 | Russian wounded ≈ 900,000–1,000,000 (UK estimate Sept 2026: 1.5 million casualties incl. ~500,000 killed; NATO June 2026: 1.3–1.45 million casualties); Ukrainian wounded ≥ 380,000 (official, Feb 2025) to ~400,000–475,000 (CSIS July 2026 range of 525,000–625,000 casualties minus killed); civilians injured 53,693 (OHCHR, end-July 2026). Derived sums; counts include multiple woundings of the same person. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 94,700 | – | UCDP: at least 94,700 battle-related deaths in calendar 2025 (lower-bound methodology). No UCDP figure for Oct 2025–Oct 2026 yet; 2026 intensity is similar or higher (Ukraine claims 30,000–46,000 Russian casualties per month; record civilian casualties). uu.se ↗ |
| Internally displaced | 3,700,000 | 3,900,000 | UN/UNHCR estimate ~3.7 million IDPs (January 2026); IOM General Population Survey ~3.9 million (June 2026), about 12% of the population, with 132,000 newly displaced in January–June 2026. shelter.in.ua ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | 5,213,000 | 5,762,000 | UNHCR (30 April 2026): 5.762 million refugees from Ukraine recorded globally, of whom 5.213 million in Europe; down from 5.924 million in February 2026. Figures count registrations, not net presence; several hundred thousand more live in Russia under different reporting. interfax.com ↗ |
Intensity classification: UCDP recorded at least 94,700 battle-related deaths in the Russia–Ukraine war in calendar 2025 (about 62% of the global total); Ukraine's General Staff claims 46,230 Russian casualties in September 2026 alone, and the UN verified a record 2,570 civilians killed in January–September 2026..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war?
Russia and allies (Russian Armed Forces, Rosgvardia (National Guard), Forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk 'people's republics' (integrated into Russian forces), Africa Corps / former Wagner formations, …), supported by North Korea (troops, artillery and missiles), Iran (drones and missiles), Belarus (territory and logistics), China (dual-use components; reported); against Ukraine (Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), …), supported by United States (military aid and intelligence; sales since 2025), European Union and member states (especially Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Nordic and Baltic states), United Kingdom, Canada.
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 331,000–870,000 killed as of 16 October 2026. Low = sum of documented floors: 258,989 Russian soldiers confirmed dead by name (Mediazona/BBC, to 21 Sept 2026) + 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers officially confirmed killed (Zelensky, Feb 2026) + 17,257 civilians verified by OHCHR (end-July 2026). High = sum of upper estimates: BBC Russian estimate of up to 649,618 Russian dead (16 Oct 2026) + BBC estimate of ~200,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed (Feb 2026) + the verified civilian minimum (the real civilian toll, e.g. in Mariupol, is believed far higher). Le Monde estimated ~500,000 total deaths in February 2026. Figures mix named counts and statistical estimates; neither government publishes full data. Civilian deaths are put at 17,257+. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Russia–Ukraine war still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, is the largest war in Europe since 1945. As of October 2026 Russian forces occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine and continue grinding offensives in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts while Ukraine mounts limited counterattacks; both sides wage long-range drone and missile campaigns against energy infrastructure. US-brokered talks (Abu Dhabi, January–February 2026), a three-day truce in May and two announced 'energy ceasefires' in September and October 2026 have not produced a settlement, and civilian casualties reached record monthly highs in 2026.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 24 February 2022, but the underlying conflict dates back to 2014 — 4 years, 7 months ago.
Sources
- UCDP — 2025 conflict data press release (Uppsala University) uu.se
- CFR Global Conflict Tracker — War in Ukraine cfr.org
- OHCHR / HRMMU civilian casualty series (via Statista) statista.com
- Mediazona / BBC Russian — named Russian military deaths en.zona.media
- UALosses — named Ukrainian military deaths ualosses.org
- UNHCR Ukraine refugee situation data portal data.unhcr.org
- Wikipedia — Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian war (index of estimates) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — 2026 US–Ukraine–Russia meetings in Abu Dhabi en.wikipedia.org
More conflicts
Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict (Nagorno-Karabakh)
Georgia – Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Russian-occupied regions)
Kosovo–Serbia dispute (northern Kosovo)Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Russia–Ukraine war — Casualties, Forces & Timeline (2026). Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/conflicts/russia-ukraine-war/<a href="https://glostats.com/conflicts/russia-ukraine-war/">Russia–Ukraine war — Casualties, Forces & Timeline (2026)</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
This page summarises publicly available reporting and does not take sides. Casualty and force figures are estimates compiled on 19 October 2026; see each figure's source for its method and date. Page generated 2026-10-20. How this tracker works.