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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is the number of Russian troops killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War on track to surpass the number of American troops killed in the war in Afghanistan?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

Less than a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, an estimated 7,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, according to American officials who spoke to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity. In comparison, 1,910 U.S. soldiers were killed in action in Afghanistan, according to a Defense Department casualty report. In Iraq, 3,481 American troops were killed in action. When factoring in "non-hostile" deaths, the combined fatality count is 6,758. 

The 7,000 figure is a mid-range estimate; some place the count as low as 3,000 while others place it as high as 10,000. Estimates are based on media analysis, Ukrainian and Russian figures, satellite imagery and extrapolations from destroyed tanks, according to CNN. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
New York Times As Russian Troop Deaths Climb, Morale Becomes an Issue, Officials Say
US Department of Defense Casualty Status as of 10 a.m. EDT March 14, 2022
CNN Mounting Russian casualties in Ukraine lead to more questions about its military readiness
Axios Zelensky: 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in "war of annihilation"
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.