Russia celebrates Russia Day amid claims of one million military casualties in Ukraine

Russia Day observed amid heavy toll of Ukraine War
Russia observed its national holiday, Russia Day, on June 12, even as Ukraine claimed that more than one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

“Russia has suffered roughly five times as many fatalities in Ukraine as in all Russian and Soviet wars combined between the end of World War II and the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022,” analysts from the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) noted earlier this month.

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According to daily updates from Ukraine’s General Staff, though not independently verified, Moscow’s military losses reached 1,000,340 troops as of Thursday, June 12. The estimate includes 1,140 casualties over the past 24 hours. These figures align broadly with separate estimates by British defense officials and CSIS.

The report further suggests that between 200,000 and 250,000 Russian troops have died, placing the war’s fatality rate far above those recorded in past conflicts such as the Soviet-Afghan War and the Chechen wars.

US extends diplomatic message to Russia on National Day
In a rare move, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a public statement congratulating the Russian people on Russia Day. It marks the first such message from a senior US official since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.

“The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future,” the statement read, as published by the US Embassy in Moscow.

“We also take this opportunity to reaffirm the United States’ desire for constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine,” it continued.

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This year’s greeting is the first since 2021, when then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the holiday. Rubio’s remarks align with the Trump administration’s broader effort to restore diplomatic channels and reduce hostilities between the two nations.

“It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries,” Rubio added.

Rising casualties and documentation projects highlight war’s toll
Despite calls for diplomacy, the Ukraine war has left a devastating human cost. Ukraine’s casualty estimates are corroborated in part by independent monitoring groups and media investigations.

BBC News Russian and independent Russian outlet Mediazona have documented the names of 111,387 Russian soldiers killed as of June 6, 2025, using open-source verification. On the Ukrainian side, volunteer initiative UA Losses has found public records for 76,100 confirmed deaths.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in February 2025 that over 45,000 Ukrainian troops had died and 390,000 had been injured. CSIS reports suggest the total Ukrainian military casualty count may exceed 400,000, with 60,000 to 100,000 deaths.

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The symbolic crossing of the one-million mark underscores the high-intensity nature of the ongoing war, even as Russia moves forward with national celebrations and diplomatic messaging on sovereignty and national reform.