4 Years into Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine, a Look at the War by the Numbers 

A resident walks at the site of the Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Chornomorsk, Odesa region, Ukraine February 23, 2026. (Reuters)
A resident walks at the site of the Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Chornomorsk, Odesa region, Ukraine February 23, 2026. (Reuters)
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4 Years into Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine, a Look at the War by the Numbers 

A resident walks at the site of the Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Chornomorsk, Odesa region, Ukraine February 23, 2026. (Reuters)
A resident walks at the site of the Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Chornomorsk, Odesa region, Ukraine February 23, 2026. (Reuters)

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago launched Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, causing immense suffering for civilians and harrowing ordeals for soldiers while rewriting the post-Cold War security order.

The fighting enters its fifth year on Tuesday, and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

The US has brokered talks with delegations from Moscow and Kyiv as part of the Trump administration's yearlong push for peace. But reconciling key differences, such as the future of Russian-occupied Ukrainian land and postwar security for Ukraine, has thwarted progress.

Meanwhile, thousands of each countries’ troops have died on the battlefield, and Ukrainian civilians have been battered by Russian aerial strikes that have brought years of power outages and water cuts.

Here’s a look at the conflict, by the numbers, since the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

1.8 million The upper end of the estimated number of soldiers killed, wounded or missing on both sides, according to a report last month by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.

It estimated that Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025 — what it said was the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since World War II.

Russia has not released figures on battlefield deaths since January 2023, when it said more than 80 soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian strike, bringing the total military deaths Moscow has confirmed to just over 6,000.

CSIS estimated that Ukraine has seen 500,000 to 600,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that 55,000 Ukrainian troops have died in the war. Many are missing, he said.

Neither Moscow nor Kyiv gives timely data on military losses. Independent verification is not possible.

14,999 The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission’s count for civilian deaths in Ukraine since Russia’s all-out invasion, though it says that is likely an underestimate. More than 40,600 civilians were injured over the same period, it said in a December report.

The war has killed at least 763 children, according to the UN.

Last year was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022. The conflict killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142 in the country in 2025 — a 31% increase in civilian casualties over 2024, it said.

19.4% The percentage of Ukrainian land occupied by Russia, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Over the past year, Russia has gained just 0.79% of Ukraine’s territory in the grinding war of attrition, the Washington-based think tank said in calculations provided earlier this month to The Associated Press, underscoring the little progress Moscow's forces have made despite huge costs in troops and armor.

Before Russia’s all-out invasion, it controlled nearly 7% of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east, as Moscow-backed separatists fought the Ukrainian army, according to Ukrainian officials and Western analysts.

13% The percentage drop in foreign military aid to Kyiv last year compared with the annual average between 2022 and 2024, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute, which tracks assistance to Kyiv.

US President Donald Trump stopped sending American weapons paid for by the US to Ukraine after he took office just over a year ago. European countries, striving to make up the difference, increased their military aid last year by 67% compared with the 2022-2024 period, the institute said in a report this month.

Foreign humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine fell by 5% last year in comparison with the average in the previous three years, it said.

5.9 million The number of Ukrainian civilians who have left their country.

Some 5.3 million of those people have found refuge in Europe, according to a report this month from the UN office in Ukraine.

Additionally, around 3.7 million Ukrainians forced out of their homes have moved elsewhere within the country, the UN said in December.

Ukraine's prewar population was more than 40 million.

2,851 The number of Russian attacks that affected the provision of medical care in Ukraine, according to the World Health Organization. The figure covers the period from the full-scale invasion through Feb. 11.

The attacks include 2,347 strikes on health care facilities, as well as ones that damaged vehicles and the storage of medical supplies.



Iran Issues Security Directives to Control Narrative Around Khamenei Funeral

Satellite image of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla during the funeral ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, July 5, 2026. (Planet Labs/Reuters) 
Satellite image of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla during the funeral ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, July 5, 2026. (Planet Labs/Reuters) 
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Iran Issues Security Directives to Control Narrative Around Khamenei Funeral

Satellite image of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla during the funeral ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, July 5, 2026. (Planet Labs/Reuters) 
Satellite image of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla during the funeral ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, July 5, 2026. (Planet Labs/Reuters) 

Iran’s security agencies have ordered media outlets and public relations departments at state institutions to adhere to a unified framework when covering news and analysis related to the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in an effort to tightly manage the public narrative during one of the country’s most sensitive political moments since the leadership transition.

The directives, obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, instruct media organizations to reinforce specific messaging, remove accounts that deviate from the official narrative, and portray the funeral as proof of the continuity of the leadership and the resilience of the political system in the face of what the document describes as the enemy’s “cognitive warfare.”

The document treats the funeral as a political, security, and media event simultaneously. It instructs outlets to depict public attendance as a unique “human shield” and as a “strategic declaration of loyalty” to Khamenei’s legacy and the Iranian Revolution’s “strategic depth.”

Media observers in Tehran said the directives reflect an effort to shape public opinion and curb media pluralism during a delicate transitional period.

The guidance requires coverage to revolve around three themes: “continuity of leadership,” “continuity of resistance,” and “a bright future.” It warns that inconsistent messaging would create space for competing narratives and urges all media to adopt a unified account on behalf of what it calls the “Front of the Revolution.”

The document also calls for highlighting the attendance of foreign delegations and republishing favorable analyses from Western media in domestic outlets as evidence of the success of Iran’s public diplomacy and the failure of efforts to isolate the country despite sanctions.

It instructs media to counter arguments by supporters of the former Pahlavi monarchy while avoiding defensive responses, instead emphasizing what it describes as the regime’s achievements in the nuclear, missile, and regional arenas.

Emphasis is placed on rebutting narratives of a “succession vacuum” and an “uncertain future.” The directives call for calm, well-documented explanations of Iran’s constitutional succession process to prevent what they describe as a cascading collapse in public confidence.

The guidance also bans coverage that could inflame political or sectarian divisions, urging media to stress national unity and consensus.

Media are further instructed to portray the funeral crowds as a historic display comparable to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and a decisive rebuttal to predictions of state collapse. They are encouraged to use statistics, photographs, and field reports to project national strength and cohesion, while incorporating deterrent messages emphasizing Iran’s military readiness and continued commitment to the “path of resistance.”

Finally, the directives warn against what they describe as pessimistic analyses or forecasts rooted in fear and uncertainty, urging media instead to promote an image of “a proud and advancing Iran” through what the document calls the “engineering of hope,” while affirming that “Iran’s future is bright and remains connected to the path of the Imam and the leadership.”

 

 


Iran Fires Two Missiles at Commercial Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Axios Report

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) 
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) 
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Iran Fires Two Missiles at Commercial Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Axios Report

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) 
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, Axios reported, citing two US officials.

Two commercial ships suffered significant damage but had no casualties, the report said, citing a US official.

Separately, Britain's maritime security agency said a tanker caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile early on Tuesday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident took place eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman, according to AFP.

“A tanker has reported being hit by an unknown projectile on the port side causing a fire, whilst travelling southbound,” UKMTO said in a post on X.

The agency said there were no reports of casualties or environmental damage.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the agency added, saying authorities were investigating.

Since March, a number of commercial vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz when Iran blockaded the waterway in response to US-Israeli attacks.

In return, the United States imposed its own naval blockade and later launched retaliatory strikes against Iran after accusing Tehran of targeting commercial shipping.

Maritime traffic resumed after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the strategic route.

However, Iran has insisted there will be no return to pre-war arrangements, under which vessels could pass freely through the strait.

Tehran has warned ships against using routes outside a corridor it has authorized along its coastline.

 


Iran Foreign Minister Says US Threats are an Impediment to Deal-making

A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows Iranian Foreign Minister speaking during a meeting with foreign ambassador and diplomats at the foreign ministry office, in Tehran, Iran, 16 June 2026.EPA/IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICE HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows Iranian Foreign Minister speaking during a meeting with foreign ambassador and diplomats at the foreign ministry office, in Tehran, Iran, 16 June 2026.EPA/IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICE HANDOUT
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Iran Foreign Minister Says US Threats are an Impediment to Deal-making

A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows Iranian Foreign Minister speaking during a meeting with foreign ambassador and diplomats at the foreign ministry office, in Tehran, Iran, 16 June 2026.EPA/IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICE HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Iranian foreign ministry office shows Iranian Foreign Minister speaking during a meeting with foreign ambassador and diplomats at the foreign ministry office, in Tehran, Iran, 16 June 2026.EPA/IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICE HANDOUT

Talks to reach a final deal between Tehran and Washington won't start if US threats continue, Iran's foreign minister said ‌on Tuesday, ‌following US President ‌Donald ⁠Trump's threat to "finish ⁠the job" if a deal is not made.

"Negotiations on final deal will ⁠not commence if ‌threats continue. ‌Honor your signature," ‌Abbas Araghchi ‌wrote in a post on X.

Araghchi's post was referring to ‌an interim deal signed last month by ⁠Iran ⁠and the US that calls upon both sides to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.