Kremlin Dismisses US Think Tank Report on Russian Losses in Ukraine Conflict

It is only the Russian Ministry of Defense that is authorized to provide information about casualties and losses during the special military operation. Any statements made by other organizations should not be considered reliable, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov was responding to journalists' questions about a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the United States, which estimated Russia's losses during the operation at 1.2 million killed and wounded.

"I do not think such reports can or should be regarded as credible information. First of all, we suggest focusing on data provided through the Ministry of Defense,” Peskov said.

On December 24, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, reported that approximately 417,000 people in Russia had signed contracts for military service in 2025. In addition, more than 36,000 citizens joined volunteer units and were deployed to the zone of the special military operation.

President Vladimir Putin stated during a live televised event that around 700,000 soldiers are currently stationed at the front. He also noted that interest in signing military contracts remains high and that selection procedures are required for drone units within the Defense Ministry.

"There are even students who take academic leave in order to go to the front,” Putin said.

On December 17, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov announced that the army recruitment plan for 2025 had been exceeded. According to him, nearly 410,000 Russians voluntarily entered contract military service, with about two-thirds of them under the age of 40.