Russian hospitals reveal scale of Moscow's 2025 battlefield losses – investigation
An open-source intelligence group VOID found that 2025 was the deadliest year for Russia in its full-scale war, with military casualties overwhelming civilian hospitals and exceeding previous years' levels.
Researchers from the open-source intelligence group VOID analyzed Russian hospital data, including procurement records, hospital reports, local government documents, and social media posts. Their findings indicate that 2025 was the deadliest year of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
Hospitals in dozens of Russian regions were overwhelmed by wounded soldiers. Civilian facilities were forced to expand trauma capacity, postpone planned procedures, and repurpose departments to treat the wounded. The geographical spread of military patients – from border regions to hospitals thousands of kilometers from the frontline – reflects the scale of losses despite the Kremlin's continued refusal to release official figures.
Regional hospitals increasingly relied on emergency procurement of medical equipment, blood supplies, surgical materials, and rehabilitation services. Local authorities publicly acknowledged the need to accommodate large numbers of wounded.
VOID researchers conclude that available evidence points to casualty levels significantly exceeding those of previous years. Russia's military medical system increasingly depends on civilian hospitals, indicating sustained pressure on the country's healthcare infrastructure.
Moscow has not published official casualty figures since the early months of the invasion. Independent researchers rely on open-source information, probate records, cemetery data, and leaked databases. Previous investigations by RFE/RL, Mediazona, and Meduza have also shown a sharp rise in Russian losses.
