Bloomberg has reported that more than 11,000 foreign nationals from approximately 100 different countries have been killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The findings are based on confidential data obtained from the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, known as Rosstat. This new information provides a detailed look at the international composition of Russian military losses during the ongoing conflict.
The data was initially secured by the Belarusian pro-opposition group Cyber Partisans and the Ukrainian hacker operation Silent Crow. These groups later shared the information with Bloomberg and a select number of other news outlets. The source material consists of a vast database containing over 11 million death certificates. Each record includes specific details such as the individual's place of birth, their citizenship, and the location where they died.
According to the report, Russia has registered roughly 400,000 war-related deaths since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago. Within this total, 11,335 individuals were identified as being born outside of Russia or holding foreign citizenship. The records span the period from February 24, 2022, to late August 2026. Each death was explicitly linked to the war through specific coding or text that mentioned terms such as military operation, shelling, or drones.
The statistics highlight a significant increase in the number of foreign casualties over the course of the war. Rosstat data shows a more than eightfold rise in war-related deaths among foreign nationals. In 2022, the number of such deaths was approximately 630. By 2025, that figure had climbed to over 5,500. This trend suggests a growing reliance on or recruitment of foreign fighters by the Russian military in recent years.
Rosstat did not provide a response to a request for comment regarding the data. The release of these figures adds to the broader understanding of the human cost of the conflict. The data offers a granular view of who is being sent to the front lines, revealing that the war has drawn in citizens from a wide range of nations, not just from traditional allies or neighboring states.
In early September 2026, Ukraine's General Staff provided its own assessment of the war's toll. At that time, officials reported that Russian losses had exceeded 1.5 million personnel, a figure that includes both those killed and those wounded. The new Rosstat data complements these broader estimates by focusing specifically on the demographic breakdown of those who have died.
The method of data collection involved analyzing official death certificates, which are typically used for civil registration. By cross-referencing details like citizenship and place of birth, researchers were able to isolate the foreign-born or foreign-citizen individuals within the larger dataset. This approach allows for a more precise count of international participants in the war.
The fact that nearly 100 countries are represented among the dead is a notable detail in the report. It underscores the global reach of the conflict and the diverse backgrounds of those who have joined the Russian effort. The data covers a period of almost five years, capturing the evolution of the war from its initial phase to the current state.
The information was shared with a small group of news outlets before being made public. This controlled release strategy is often used to ensure the accuracy and impact of significant data findings. The involvement of hacker groups from both Belarus and Ukraine highlights the collaborative nature of intelligence gathering in the current geopolitical landscape.
As the war continues, the role of foreign nationals in the Russian military remains a subject of interest for analysts and observers. The data suggests that this component of the Russian force has grown substantially, reflecting changes in recruitment strategies or the willingness of citizens from other nations to serve in the conflict.
