Four years after Russia invaded Ukraine, nearly 2 million soldiers are dead, wounded or missing as drones expand kill zone

AP ^ | February 22, 2026

[MinorityRepublican]

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine surpassed 1,418 days last month, it officially exceeded a historic milestone — the same span of time it took Moscow to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II.

And unlike the Red Army that pushed all the way to Berlin eight decades ago in what it called the Great Patriotic War, Russia’s 4-year-old, all-out invasion of its neighbor is still struggling to fully capture Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland.

After Moscow failed to seize the capital of Kyiv and install a puppet government in February 2022, the conflict turned into trench warfare with tremendous cost. By some estimates, nearly 2 million soldiers are dead, wounded or missing on both sides in Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II.

Russia has occupied about 20% of Ukrainian territory since illegally annexing Crimea in 2014, but its gains after the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion have been slow. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte this month likened Moscow’s advance to “the speed of a garden snail.”

Russian troops have moved only about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) into the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine in the past two years in a grinding battle for control of a few strongholds.

Despite the slow pace and high cost, President Vladimir Putin has maintained his maximalist demands in U.S.-mediated peace talks, saying Kyiv must pull its forces from the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed but never fully captured. He has repeatedly brandished his nuclear arsenal to prevent the West from boosting military support for Kyiv.

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TOPICS: Ukraine
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[Dr. Franklin]

It is Putin’s very special military operation, and Russians will go to jail if they call it a war, which it is.

[higgmeister]

And I don’t give a care.

[SaxxonWoods]

4 years and all those deaths and Russia’s army is larger now than it was 4 years ago.

[Leaning Right]

We’re not so different. We don’t have wars anymore, either. Instead the United States has kinetic operations. And police actions. And etc.

Our presidents do this to avoid going to Congress, and asking for a congressional declaration of war. Congress seems to be okay with that.

It’s pathetic.

[ScaniaBoy]

Of course it is a war, but then again here in our western countries we can be punished, even sentenced in a court of law if we don't call a man a woman. Too many people confused the book Nineteen eighty four for a manual.

[montag813]

There is no way the 2 million figure is accurate.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: There is no way the 2 million figure is accurate.

Ok, what is your estimate?

[ansel12]

Four years.

Ukraine has not been absorbed, not even Odesa.

What was anticipated to take weeks, looks like it will never happen.

[canuck_conservative]

You’re right, it’s actually about 1.9 million

Russia has 1.2 million casualties
Ukraine has 700,000 casualties (about half of Russia’s)

Putin might have to do rolling conscriptions, which would draw critical manpower away from defense industries

But even with that, Ukraine is now able to kill Russian invaders faster than Putin can replace them

Russia cannot win this war

[maddog55]

2 million... They don’t have a clue and a quick search comes up with numbers all over the place.

[convoter2016]

Why is Russia’s army now larger than it was 4 years ago? If you include North Korean troops, I will buy it. As far as I know, Russia has one major draft of troops since 2022. I figured that draft of troops was Russia conceding the Russia had at least 200,000 troops killed or injured since 2022.

[JAKraig]

There is no way the 2 million figure is accurate.

__________________________________________________________

Why would you say that, is it because the 1.2 million pictures of dead Russian soldiers with names and addresses that you don’t believe are real? Is it because it is worse?

Please tell me your reasoning.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

After “four years,” this war still has another fifteen to go, based on our experience in Vietnam. Or Afghanistan. Or....

[delta7]

It is Putin’s very special military operation, and Russians will go to jail if they call it a war, which it is.

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Putin has shown much restraint. Reason for an “ SMO” declaration? If declared a war, their Congress (Duma ) would have to vote on a formal war declaration which by their laws would immediately start a mass mobilization resulting in 2.5 million more men being mobilized ( from trained reserves)....

Good thing Vlad is comfortable with his current 1.4 million man army, mobilizing would increase, by law, another 2.5 million immediately.

[Leaning Right]

> There is no way the 2 million figure is accurate. <

I suppose it’s possible if you count all the wounded, including those who get patched up then go right back to the front.

And as a side note, the Muslims must be loving all this. Infidel Christians killing each other in large numbers while they just back and watch.
☹️

[delta7]

Cite non western sources.....western MSM has lied time and time again.

[canuck_conservative]

this war still has another fifteen to go

LOL, Russia doesn't have the money to last that long

Besides, the Old-Geezer-in-the-Kremlin, and his Old-Geezer war obsessions, will be dead long before then.

[captmar-vell]

Meanwhile a bored Toria Nuland orders up an Espresso from the Starbucks drive thru. “double shot on ice with cold foam?”

[gibsonguy]

AP - a wholly unreliable source. Believe nothing from them.