Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine, the Russian army has lost thousands of servicemen. An important role is played not only by the total number of casualties, but also by who died.. According to the BBC, Russia has lost more than 900 elite specialists who took years of effort and millions of dollars to train.. Among them, in particular, special forces, marines and paratroopers.

According to experts, the combined arms units of the Russian army were not ready for assault operations. As a result, special forces, marines and paratroopers had to take on the tasks that the infantry should normally perform..

It is these representatives of the Russian forces, traditionally considered the elite of the Russian army, who have suffered significant losses since the beginning of the war.. Experts believe that compensating for the loss of elite specialists will be problematic for Russia.

Spetsnaz GRU.

According to BBC estimates, according to open data, 151 GRU special forces soldiers died in the war against Ukraine. It is noted that almost every fourth dead is an officer (22%).

Special Forces of the Russian Guard.

It is reported that as of September 1, 245 employees of the Russian Guard died in the war against Ukraine, most of them are representatives of special forces, in particular, special forces, SOBR and OMON. According to media reports, almost one in four of the dead had the rank of an officer..

In addition, at least 16 dead occupiers are the owners of a special distinction, a maroon beret, which actually defines the “special forces elite” in the National Guard..

Typically, the security forces of the Russian Guard specialize in the suppression of demonstrations, as well as in operations to detain a specific person or small armed groups.. But, despite this, the National Guard was sent to Ukraine from the first day of the war.

FSB and FSO.

BBC reports the death of 20 FSB and FSO officers in the war against Ukraine. Most of the dead are members of the border troops subordinate to the FSB. Also among them are officers of the most secret units..

The best parts of the Airborne Forces.

Paratroopers make up exactly one fifth of all identified Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. It is reported that the total number of dead members of the elite units of the Airborne Forces is 144.

Due to the fact that the combined arms units of the Russian Armed Forces were not ready for assault operations, the main burden of fighting in the first weeks of the war fell on the airborne troops.

Marines.

Russian Marine Corps units are actively involved in the war against Ukraine, they mainly fight on the southern front. According to open data, 337 Russian marines were killed in the war. In particular, the 810th Guards Brigade, based in the annexed Crimea, suffered the most losses..

military pilots.

According to the BBC, as of September 1, 67 Russian military pilots died during the invasion of Ukraine, including navigators and flight mechanics..

Analysts emphasize that this is a special category of losses, since the crews of combat aircraft and helicopters are the elite of any army in the world.. The training of one sniper pilot can take 15-17 years and cost from 12 to 14 million dollars..

Despite the fact that Russia formally has hundreds of modern and combat-ready multi-role fighters, as well as fighter-bombers, the invaders were unable to conduct a large-scale offensive air campaign.. According to experts, this may be due, in particular, to the loss of leading military pilots in the first months of the war..

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During the six and a half months of a full-scale war, the Russian army suffered significant irretrievable losses.. According to American intelligence, there is now a significant “staff shortage” in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces involved in hostilities in Ukraine..