A Dagestani soldier was killed in Ukraine.

Senior Lieutenant Ruslan Churukhov from the Tarumovsky District was killed in a military operation. Since its beginning, at least 1,948 fighters from Dagestan have been officially recognized as killed.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," by May 21, at least 1,947 fighters from Dagestan were officially recognized as killed in the military operation in Ukraine.

A memorial desk for Ruslan Churukhov, killed in a special military operation, was unveiled at the Privolnenskaya School in the Tarumovsky District, the district administration reported on its VKontakte page.

Ruslan Churukhov was born on February 8, 1986, in the village of Privolny. After graduating from Privolnenskaya School, he continued his studies at the Dagestan State Pedagogical University, majoring in Life Safety. In 2008, he completed his military service and achieved the rank of lieutenant. Since May 2023, Churukhov volunteered for a special military operation with the Wagner PMC. During his service, he was awarded the medals "For the Capture of Bakhmut," "Bakhmut Meat Grinder," and the Medal for Bravery, 2nd Class. On September 5, 2024, he was appointed commander of a motorized rifle platoon and awarded the rank of senior lieutenant.

On April 12, 2025, Churukhov was killed near the village of Novgorodskoye. He is survived by his wife, three sons, and a daughter.

Thus, at least 1,948 soldiers from Dagestan have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation.

13:40 May 9, 2026

The number of fighters from southern Russia killed in Ukraine has exceeded 9,100

At least 4,494 fighters from the North Caucasus Federal District and 4,607 from the Southern Federal District have been officially recognized as killed in the military operation in Ukraine.

The "Caucasian Knot" maintains a list of names of natives of the North Caucasus Federal District and the Southern Federal District killed in the military operation. The list was compiled based on data officially released by government officials and security agencies, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Northeastern Military District Statistics: Losses Are Growing in Southern Russia."

As a reminder, Dagestan ranks first among the regions of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts in the number of those killed in military operations, whose names have been officially released by the authorities. In February 2022, the head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, was the first government official to announce that a Russian serviceman, 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 those killed, according to the "Caucasian Knot" article "Three Comrades Served: How the Authorities Are Depriving the Families of Killed Volunteers of Benefits," which describes the stories of the slain soldiers. "The combat veteran's certificate was issued only because Vasily had served in the Airborne Forces for three months under a contract with the military unit in Odintsovo," a relative of one of them said.