The Kremlin invented 1.7 million "dead" AFU military personnel: CPD refuted the fiction

Kremlin media and anonymous resources have launched a new fake claiming that allegedly "1.7 million Ukrainian military personnel have been killed or are missing". This information has already been officially denied by the Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCA), calling the reports absurd and aimed at undermining the morale of Ukrainians.

Russian propagandists said that "hackers broke into the database of the AFU General Staff" and allegedly found data on colossal losses. However, this version does not stand up to any criticism. Ukraine has never had an army of 1.7 million people.

According to official data, as of January 2025, the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was about 880 thousand soldiers. Such figures were voiced by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia's losses are much higher

According to the head of state, it is the Russian troops that suffer disproportionately high losses. As of 20 August 2025, according to the General Staff of the AFU, Russia has lost more than 1,072,700 people killed and wounded. This is three times higher than the Ukrainian figures and completely refutes Kremlin manipulations.

Purpose of disinformation

CPD experts emphasise that such information throw-ins are aimed at:

• demoralisation of Ukrainian society;

• to create an illusion among citizens of the "exhaustion of the Ukrainian armed forces";

• weakening the support of international partners for Ukraine.

Thus, another "sensation" by Kremlin resources is just an element of the information war in which figures are replaced by propaganda fantasies that have nothing to do with reality.