By Olha Hembik | 2026-03-02

Russia's war in Ukraine is often measured in territory and firepower. A Ukrainian-backed project is trying to measure it in names, photographs and missing sons.

The online initiative, I Want to Return, publishes records of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in the war and allows users to search by name, unit, tag number or date of death. The database now contains information on some 275,000 Russian service members, including more than 180,000 dead and over 95,000 wounded, according to the project.

The site is constantly updated and has become one of the most comprehensive public sources tracking Russian military losses in Ukraine.

Vladislav Seleznev, a military analyst and former spokesman for Ukraine's General Staff, said the initiative operates with support from the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

"It's an opportunity for Russians to learn the truth about this war's real casualty figures. And for the survivors, it's an opportunity to return to their families and save their lives," he told Kontur.

Youngest at the front

The database illustrates how young many Russian soldiers are.

One entry documents Andrey Kholyamoyev, born in 2007, who signed a contract with the Russian army immediately after turning 18. He lost contact with his family within weeks. He died September 21, 2025, but relatives were informed only three months later.

"A little over a month passed from his 18th birthday to the day of his death," reads the page dedicated to him.

The project's Telegram channel notes that Kholyamoyev belonged to the Tofalar people, a small ethnic group numbering just 663.

Project researchers say such cases became possible after Russia removed rules in spring 2023 that had effectively delayed contract service for teenagers fresh out of school.

A search by year of birth on the site lists 19 dead and more than 150 wounded soldiers born in 2007. Overall, more than 20,000 listed casualties are younger than 25.

Sergei Godlevsky, a Ukrainian border officer and local historian, said Russia has historically deployed minorities disproportionately in wars.

"A person's life means nothing in the Russian way of thinking. The only value is to serve the dictator," he argued, pointing to heavy Soviet losses during World War II.

Cost of the war

Project organizers say their goal is to show Russians what participation in the war can lead to.

The website includes photographs of dead and maimed soldiers and video appeals from wounded veterans seeking assistance.

"Why are we fighting and losing our legs there?" asked Sergey Alekseenko in a video address to President Vladimir Putin. He lost his foot after stepping on an anti-personnel mine in Ukraine.

According to the project, Alekseenko expected state support but received neither financial compensation nor adequate medical care. His case has been added to the database in hopes it may discourage others from joining the war.

Another entry describes Dmitry Lakota, wounded in November 2024, whose knee joint constantly fills with blood. Video circulated online shows him in a dugout while fellow soldiers say "he doesn't have long to live."

Project authors say Lakota's unit, the 1437th Regiment, has appeared in media reports about wounded soldiers being reassigned to assault roles.

Godlevsky argued that such practices indicate broader Kremlin policy.

"If a million mobilized soldiers … return from the front with PTSD, that could be a problem within the state," he said. "That's why he keeps them at the front, kills them, and disposes of them."

Missing without trace

The project also highlights cases labeled "missing in action."

In one video message, Daria Shikova says she found her husband Maxim Shikov's photograph on the website. After being wounded twice, the 22-year-old father of two was sent back to the front and disappeared despite chronic illnesses that should have kept him in rear positions.

Project authors say commanders sometimes use the missing status to avoid responsibility for casualties.

Military analyst Mykhaylo Zhyrokhov said the designation may also enable corruption.

"They take away a fighter's debit card and make him disappear. They shoot people but pass them off as missing persons in documents," he said.

A related initiative, I Want to Find, reports receiving more than 160,000 requests from relatives searching for missing Russian troops, though organizers believe the true number is higher.

Project administrators say they are preparing another large batch of soldier questionnaires for publication that will add thousands more names to the database.

Ukraine's General Staff estimates that more than 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded or otherwise put out of action since the full-scale invasion began, though those figures cannot be independently verified.