07:36, 26 December 2025

The number of fighters from southern Russia killed in Ukraine has exceeded 8,350.

A Russian soldier. Still from a Defense Ministry video: https://t.me/mod_russia/39882

At least 4,117 soldiers from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,239 from the Southern Federal District have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation in Ukraine.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," by December 20, more than 8,300 soldiers from southern Russia had been officially recognized as killed in the military operation: 4,074 from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,228 from the Southern Federal District.

Soldier in the special military operation zone in the Krasnolimansk direction

Northern Military District Statistics: Losses Are Growing in Southern Russia

"Caucasian Knot" maintains a list of names of natives of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts killed in the military operation. The list was compiled in accordance with current laws and based on data provided by officials—from governors to village heads—as well as representatives of security agencies.

According to the "Caucasian Knot," by December 26, government and security officials had officially recognized at least 8,356 fighters from southern Russia as killed in the military operation: 4,117 from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,239 from the Southern Federal District.

Dagestan continues to bear the brunt of the death toll, with 1,743. The deaths of 883 fighters from Stavropol Krai, 532 from North Ossetia, 350 from Kabardino-Balkaria, and 255 from Chechnya have also been confirmed. id="#wk_ft2" contenteditable="false"> , 177 from Ingushetia and 177 from Karachay-Cherkessia.

Among the regions of the Southern Federal District, the Volgograd Region has the highest number of killed (1,601). Also recognized as killed are 821 fighters from the Rostov Region, 816 from the Krasnodar Krai, 663 from the Astrakhan Region, 202 from Kalmykia, and 136 from Adygea.

The actual losses among North Caucasus security forces may be significantly higher than officially acknowledged. This situation is typical for all regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, but is especially acute in Chechnya. In February 2023, Ramzan Kadyrov called on regional leaders not to disclose the number of those killed. "I don't understand when regional leaders trumpet the number of those killed in the SVO zone. My question is: why? Don't manipulate the topic of our heroes, writing that this many died in this region, and that many in another," he said.

As a reminder, the first official to report the death of a Russian soldier in the SVO zone was Dagestan's head Sergey Melikov. On February 26, 2022, he announced that officer Nurmagomed Gadzimagomedov had been killed in Ukraine.

State awards, memorial plaques, and appearances on Channel One do not guarantee state support for the families of the slain, according to the "Caucasian Knot" article "Three Comrades Served: How the Authorities Are Depriving the Families of Slain Volunteers of Benefits," which describes the stories of slain soldiers, including those from the Krasnodar Territory.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/419417