There Is Only Death There

A recent study has revealed that a significant portion of the Russian conscripts mobilized for service in Ukraine faced tragically short lifespans in the conflict zone.

Vazhnye Istorii and the Conflict Intelligence Team conducted an analysis of obituaries of Russian military personnel. Their conclusion was that, on average, Russian conscripts met their demise in Ukraine after only four and a half months of service. What's more, every fifth conscript did not survive longer than two months.

The study cataloged approximately three thousand mobilized individuals who lost their lives in the conflict. Notably, this data accounts only for deaths confirmed through obituaries, implying that the actual casualty count is likely higher than reported.

Despite promises from Russian authorities regarding proper training for those called up for front-line duty, experts observed that the first major casualties began to occur in the fall, mere days after the mobilization announcement. For instance, 23-year-old Vadim Bulatov from Chelyabinsk Oblast passed away on October 8, only nine days after being mobilized. Experts suggest that some of these conscripts were thrust unprepared into intense combat situations in Luhansk Oblast, where Russian command urgently sought to stem a Ukrainian advance.

The research also highlights that individuals over 30 were hardest hit; over half of the recorded casualties befell men aged 30 to 45 years old. The youngest mobilized individual was 19 and the oldest 62.

The researchers also revealed that Sverdlovsk Oblast, in the Ural Mountains, bore the brunt of casualties. Additionally, numerous “funerals” were dispatched to regions such as Buryatia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Samara and Volgograd Oblasts.

According to Russian officials, some 300,000 reservists were called up during a mobilization that began in September 2022.