A joint investigation by the BBC’s Russian Service and independent media outlet Mediazona, supported by a team of volunteers, has identified the names of 118,139 Russian soldiers who have died in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The list includes more than 500 foreign nationals from 28 different countries — with Tajikistan topping the list of non-Russian casualties.
According to the report, 72 citizens of Tajikistan have been confirmed killed while fighting for Russian forces, making them the largest foreign contingent identified so far. They are followed by 66 citizens of Uzbekistan, placing both Central Asian republics at the top of the foreign casualty rankings.
Notably, the investigation reveals that more than half of the deceased from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan had been recruited from Russian prisons. Specifically, 43 Tajiks and 46 Uzbeks had signed contracts with the notorious Wagner private military company (PMC) in exchange for the promise of amnesty from prison sentences.
Human rights advocates have repeatedly warned that Russia’s war has become a tool of coercion against labor migrants from Central Asia, many of whom live precariously in the country. Offers of expedited citizenship, lifted entry bans, or cancellation of deportation orders are reportedly used to lure them into military service.
The BBC’s Russian Service clarified that the investigation only includes foreign nationals who did not possess Russian citizenship at the time of signing military contracts and whose deaths were independently confirmed through open sources — including government announcements, social media posts by relatives, and graveyard photos. Intelligence data from Ukraine or Western sources was not used in the verification process.
Outside the post-Soviet region, Nepal ranks highest among confirmed foreign casualties, with 70 deaths documented and about 50 more reported missing. The list also includes individuals from the United States, Ethiopia, Zambia, Central African Republic, Tanzania, and Togo.
Despite the confirmed numbers, journalists believe the actual number of foreign nationals killed while serving in Russian ranks is significantly higher.
The authors of the report suggest that North Korea may lead in foreign deaths. However, no names have been confirmed due to the regime’s tight control on information and citizens' lack of presence on social media. According to South Korean intelligence, approximately 600 North Korean soldiers may have died on the frontlines, but Pyongyang has not officially acknowledged any losses.
