The number of young Russian soldiers losing their lives in the war against Ukraine has increased significantly, according to an analysis of data from the “I Want to Find” project, which collects requests to find missing Russian soldiers.
Analysis of more than 200,000 claims for missing Russian servicemen shows that in 2024, soldiers under the age of 25 accounted for about 8.5 percent of all reported cases. After sending Russian recruits to the Kursk border area, this percentage increased significantly, reaching 16 percent of missing-soldier claims.
In 2025, the share of young soldiers was around 13 percent, while in 2026 it increased again to over 15 percent. According to the analysis, this trend is expected to continue in the future. Some Russian citizens are being sent to the front lines as soon as they turn 18, facing a high risk of death in combat.
The rising number of casualties among young soldiers has sparked debate in Russia over the use of young recruits in military operations in Ukraine and how authorities are managing the human toll of the war. /Telegraph