Hackers expose over 4 lakh Russian war deaths as Ukraine-Russia negotiations resume

New Delhi: A major leak of Russian government records has revealed that more than 4.12 lakh people were killed in war-related incidents involving Russian military personnel since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The disclosure comes as Moscow, Kyiv and Washington hold fresh peace talks in Abu Dhabi, seeking a way to end the nearly five-year conflict.

The figure comes from 4,12,576 death certificates found in a dataset containing more than 11 million records from Russia’s state statistics agency, Rosstat, the Guardian reported. These certificates contain official codes or written references connecting the deaths to combat and military operations.

The records were obtained by two hacking groups, Belarus-based Cyber Partisans and Ukraine’s Silent Crow. They announced the breach on November 1 and released the material over the weekend. Rosstat acknowledged the cyberattack but denied that sensitive data had been taken.

Russia has kept its military casualty figures largely under wraps. Its last official update on military deaths came in the early months of the invasion.

The leaked figure is also lower than some independent estimates. British intelligence put Russian military deaths at around 5 lakh in September, while Mediazona has documented nearly 2.86 lakh deaths by identifying individual soldiers.

Janis Kluge, a Russia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the records appeared authentic. He believes the actual number could be closer to 5 lakh because of missing soldiers and delays in registering deaths.

The data also points to sharp regional differences in casualties. In Buryatia, Tuva and Zabaykalsky Krai, war-related deaths made up around one-third of all deaths among men aged 18 to 49 by mid-2024. The share was around 10 per cent in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Monthly deaths also rose sharply towards the later stages of the conflict. Several months in late 2024 and 2025 recorded more than 15,000 deaths, according to Kluge’s analysis.

The leak comes as negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi. The talks resumed on Tuesday, with the first session lasting nearly four hours. Discussions are expected to continue on Wednesday.

The main disagreement remains the future of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Russia wants Kyiv to give up the remaining territory it controls there, but Ukraine has refused to withdraw from the region, as RNA Media reported earlier.

US officials have indicated that both sides may be willing to show some flexibility in private discussions. Kyiv, however, has denied considering territorial concessions and says such decisions must be made by the countries’ leaders.

Security arrangements after the war are also part of the negotiations. Washington wants both sides to address these guarantees alongside territorial questions. Proposals under discussion include military consultations, crisis hotlines and measures to prevent further escalation.

European governments have separately called for a role in shaping any settlement. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the European Union and Nato have stressed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and long-term security must be protected.

Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to stop the fighting. Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and Ukrainian strikes inside Russia have continued as the negotiations get underway.