A NATO official estimates that Russia lost over 50,000 soldiers in September, compared with 5,000 in Ukraine’s case

Russia reportedly lost more than 50,000 troops, killed and wounded, in September 2026, according to an estimate provided by an anonymous NATO official and cited by Bloomberg. More than 28,000 Russian troops were reportedly killed, making it the Russian army’s deadliest month since the beginning of the year.

The estimate is close to the figures presented by the General Staff of Ukraine, which assessed Russian losses at 46,230 troops in September. However, the Ukrainians did not specify how many of them had been killed. The NATO official claims that Ukrainian forces recorded approximately 5,000 casualties, including troops killed and wounded, during the same period.

Russian losses increased from 31,710 in January to 46,230 in September, representing an increase of approximately 46%. Kyiv says that inflicting the greatest possible losses has become a strategic objective, in an attempt to limit Moscow’s ability to sustain its offensive.

Russia is facing difficulties replacing its troops but denies preparing a new recruitment campaign. Ukrainian intelligence services claim that Moscow could mobilize 300,000 people each in 2026 and 2027, if circumstances require it.

The casualty figures cannot be independently verified. Ukraine estimates that Russia has lost approximately 1,552,840 people since February 2022, a figure that would include those killed, wounded, captured and missing.