Feb 24, 2022 – Kremlin launches the “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine, promising to defeat Kyiv within ten days, a plan later judged disastrous after more than 1,450 days of fighting [3].

2024 – Activist Murat Mukashev receives a 10‑year sentence for a drug‑dealing case, refuses a defence‑ministry contract, then enlists in the Russian army later that year, illustrating the coercive recruitment climate [2].

Feb 2025 – President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin hold direct talks in Washington aimed at ending the war, prompting a spike in Russian obituary publications that month as combat intensity rises [2].

Aug 2025 – Trump and Putin meet in Alaska, triggering the second peak of Russian soldier obituaries that month, reflecting heightened battlefield losses [2].

Oct–Nov 2025 – The United States unveils a 28‑point peace proposal; Russian obituaries average 322 per day, roughly double 2024 levels, serving as a proxy for intensified fighting [2].

2025 – BBC analysis estimates 80,000 Russian military deaths in 2025 and a cumulative toll of up to 413,500, while demographer Alexey Raksha notes rural death rates are 27‑33 times higher than in Moscow, underscoring regional disparities [1].

2025 – Indigenous groups suffer disproportionate casualties, with 201 Nenets, 96 Chukchi, 77 Khanty, 30 Koryaks and seven Inuit killed, amounting to 2 % of Chukchi males and highlighting targeted recruitment [1].

2025 – Volunteers account for about one‑third of battlefield deaths, up from 15 % in 2024, as local governments offer pay‑outs to debt‑laden citizens and students while the Kremlin avoids a mass mobilization [2].

2025 – National Security Council deputy chief Dmitry Medvedev reports roughly 336,000 Russians sign up for the war, with many misunderstanding contracts that automatically renew until the conflict ends [2].

Dec 2025 – NATO estimates total Russian dead and wounded at about 1.1 million, with some officials suggesting around 250,000 fatalities, highlighting the scale of the human cost [2].

Dec 2025 – President Trump tells Politico that “Russia has the upper hand… They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger… At some point, size will win,” reflecting a belief in Russian military superiority despite mounting losses [4].

Dec 2025 – Britain’s deputy OSCE ambassador James Ford warns Russian military losses now exceed sustainable recruitment; NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte adds Moscow loses about 1,000 troops a day in December, far outpacing Soviet Afghanistan losses [4].

Dec 2025 – CSIS estimates Russia’s GDP growth slows to 0.6 % in 2025, ranking 28th of 36 in Stanford AI competitiveness, indicating economic strain despite short‑term wartime output gains [4].

Jan 28, 2026 – CSIS reports 1.2 million Russian casualties (275‑325 k killed) and only a 12 % increase in Ukrainian territory under Russian control since 2022, a gain comparable to a few yards per day in World War I battles [4].

Feb 20, 2026 – In the remote Far‑East village of Sedanka, 39 of 258 residents enlist, 12 are killed and seven missing, while promises of “village of military valour” status and aid remain unmet, illustrating the war’s impact on isolated communities [1].

Feb 21, 2026 – Analysts note the original ten‑day victory plan proved disastrous, Russian casualties top 1 million (CSIS), Ukraine claims 35,000 Russian troops killed in December alone, Russia climbs to the world’s ninth‑largest economy despite sanctions, and the conflict pushes Moscow into a junior partnership with China while NATO expansion continues unabated [3].

Feb 22, 2026 – The invasion reaches its 1,418‑day milestone, matching the duration of Moscow’s WWII campaign; trench warfare claims roughly two million lives on both sides, Russian advances stall at about 50 km in Donetsk, drones extend kill zones to 50 km, Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” drone raid hits Russian bomber bases in June, and U.S.–mediated talks set a June 2026 deadline for a ceasefire, highlighting stalled diplomacy [5].