Russia’s defence ministry has proposed the creation of a new medal to recognise servicemen and civilians involved in recovering bodies from active combat zones, offering a rare official acknowledgement of the scale of losses nearly four years into the war in Ukraine.
Proposal recognises high-risk recovery operations
The draft regulation, published on Monday in an official government database, outlines criteria for awarding the medal to those who conduct “evacuation of killed servicemen and other individuals in combat conditions with life-threatening risks.”
The document also suggests honouring contributors to innovative technologies used in locating, recovering and identifying bodies near the front lines — an area that has become increasingly difficult as fighting continues.
Rare admission of difficulties in accounting for the dead
Russia, like Ukraine, treats wartime casualty figures as state secrets. The proposal marks one of the clearest public signals that Moscow is facing sustained challenges in tracking missing personnel and recovering remains from contested areas.
Earlier this year, British military intelligence estimated that more than one million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the February 2022 invasion — a figure far higher than any officially acknowledged number.
Broader context
The proposed medal comes at a time when both sides continue to wage intensive battles along the eastern and southern fronts. Recovery teams often face extreme danger, including artillery fire, drone surveillance and mined terrain