Recent data from the Kremlin's official state procurement portal reveals that Russia has significantly ramped up its investment in cemetery expansion projects during the first two years of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The figures indicate that Russian regions allocated over $2.5 million towards cemetery expansion in 2023, a substantial increase from the approximately $1.3 million spent in 2022, resulting in a total expenditure of about $3.8 million. In the first half of 2024, a combined $1.5 million was dedicated to such projects.
Comparatively, cemetery expansion initiatives cost a mere $432,000 in 2020 and $1.4 million in 2021. The surge in spending on cemetery infrastructure is correlated with the escalating casualties Russia has faced since launching its invasion in February 2022. Reports from the UK's Ministry of Defence indicate that Russia experienced an average of nearly 1,000 casualties per day in February, encompassing both fatalities and injuries, largely attributed to the attritional nature of the conflict.
Independent Russian sources have estimated that the life expectancy of Russian soldiers on the battlefield is approximately four and a half months. Notably, the toll of the conflict has been starkly illustrated by the Institute for the Study of War, which suggested that more Russian soldiers may have perished in the battle for Avdiivka than during the entire 10-year Soviet-Afghan war.
Ukrainian military estimates suggest that up to 47,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in the fighting. A recent intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence projected that Russia may have incurred up to 290,000 military casualties since the conflict commenced.
Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies has revealed the emergence of new gravesites across Russia, underscoring the human cost of the ongoing conflict. Demographer Yan Bride highlighted that while the war in Ukraine has contributed to the expansion of cemeteries, other factors such as an aging population, alcohol-related deaths, and an increase in fatalities among young individuals have also fueled the demand for funeral services and necessitated the creation of additional burial grounds.
