The human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine is approaching a grim new milestone, with total military casualties on track to near two million by this spring.

Research published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that nearly 1.2 million Russian troops and close to 600,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed, wounded, or gone missing since the start of the conflict-bringing the combined toll to almost 1.8 million, The Caspian Post reports via foreign media.

Accurate casualty figures have remained elusive throughout the war. Analysts note that Russia is believed to significantly underreport losses, while Ukraine does not release official casualty data. To compile its estimates, CSIS relied on assessments from U.S. and British government sources, among others.

Beyond the staggering human losses, the study highlights the limited territorial gains achieved by Russian forces. In some sectors, advances have reportedly slowed to as little as 50 to 230 feet per day, underscoring what researchers describe as the high cost of marginal progress.

The findings offer one of the clearest snapshots yet of the war’s scale-illustrating not only the intensity of the fighting, but also the profound toll it continues to exact on both sides as the conflict drags into its fourth year.