The scale of suicides among Russian soldiers remains highly classified, yet available data point to a catastrophic trend. Russia has kept official loss statistics secret since 2015, but open sources make it possible to estimate the extent of the problem. The root causes include a broken system, financial incentives to hide casualties, and a lack of psychological support. Soldiers killed in combat bring compensation for families, but in suicide cases (known as “Roskomnadzor”), families receive nothing, motivating commanders to conceal such incidents or classify them as combat losses.
In the Central Military District alone, the number of recorded suicides in the first half of 2025 has already surpassed last year’s total. Drone footage increasingly documents cases of desperate soldiers taking their own lives—even following step-by-step instructions distributed by commanders.
A lack of wounded evacuation, fear of abandonment, societal alienation, and mental exhaustion make mass psychological disorders and suicides common. Ukrainian drone operators routinely record severely wounded or mentally broken Russian soldiers resorting to extreme measures. The highest number of cases is observed in the Pavlohrad, Sievier, and Zaporizhzhia directions.
The return of Russian veterans poses further challenges: rising crime, societal rejection, and a practical absence of rehabilitation programs. The state fails to address PTSD or create conditions for soldier reintegration. UK intelligence estimated that by 2022, Russia had up to 100,000 military with PTSD—a number that continues to grow.
Unlike Western armies, which have at least partial support systems, there is none in Russia. The problem is taboo by law, deepening the crisis and fueling further suicides and crime among returning soldiers. Ukrainian society should take lessons from these developments and support its own veterans.
