Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
The war that turns the Black Sea into a combat zone begins. The same day Russian warships attack Snake Island.
The full-scale war began on 24 February 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian armed forces. Flank shows the figures of the parties, of the UN and of independent projects separately, each with its basis.
Sides
The report describes navigation interference from the Baltic to the Black Sea. There is no independent confirmation, and the dates of the alleged event.
News.ro and Digi24, citing deschide.md and NewsMaker.md, report that a drone entered Moldovan airspace from the direction of Odesa region at 04:23 on Wednesday morning. Both outlets cite the same Moldovan publications, and there is as yet no independent confirmation of the flight.
Ukraine reports combat results from robotic mounts against drones and is preparing joint command and control for different air defence systems. The specific interceptions have not been independently confirmed.
According to Romania’s Ministry of Defence, the target was detected over Ukrainian territory, with no incursion into Romania recorded. Residents in northern Tulcea County were warned of a possible drone threat.
Iliana Yotova won the runoff with 57.6%, and for the first time in years Bulgaria's head of state and prime minister will pursue one foreign and defence policy. The vote came amid ships sunk in Bulgaria's economic zone, a dispute over a donation from a company bearing the name of a Ukrainian drone maker, and protests outside the Presidency. What is established and what remains a claim.
On 29 October 2026, the Khoryv, which had been drifting in Bulgarian waters, partially sank off Shabla. bTV reported, citing the Ministry of Defence, that the vessel was half-submerged; other reports said its stern had settled on the seabed east of Tyulenovo and Cape Shabla.
Overnight into 3 November, Russian forces struck energy facilities and port infrastructure in Ukraine, Russia’s Defence Ministry said. It also said two dry-cargo ships were hit "at the port of Yuzhny (Pivdennyi) and in the Black Sea", without saying which ship was where; Interfax reported the statement. Ukrainian officials confirm strikes on energy facilities, but not the hits on the ships.
The report describes navigation interference from the Baltic to the Black Sea. There is no independent confirmation, and the dates of the alleged event.
News.ro and Digi24, citing deschide.md and NewsMaker.md, report that a drone entered Moldovan airspace from the direction of Odesa region at 04:23 on Wednesday morning. Both outlets cite the same Moldovan publications, and there is as yet no independent confirmation of the flight.
Ukraine reports combat results from robotic mounts against drones and is preparing joint command and control for different air defence systems. The specific interceptions have not been independently confirmed.
Side A · Belligerent
The cost of the war
0
Deaths identified by name · Russia
Russian service members killed in the war, identified by name by Mediazona and BBC Russian (obituaries, relatives' posts, local media, state registries). A minimum — not the total number of deaths.
Side B · Belligerent
The cost of the war
0
Deaths identified by name · Ukraine
Ukrainian service members killed since 24 February 2022, identified by name by the independent project UALosses (obituaries, local authorities and media, relatives' posts). A minimum — not the total number of deaths. The missing and prisoners are counted separately and are not included.
Theatres: Eastern Europe, Black Sea
Civilian casualties verified case by case — a verified minimum; the actual numbers are higher.
Civilians killed and injured in Ukraine since 24 February 2022, verified by the UN — cumulative. A verified minimum: the actual number is considerably higher.
Civilians killed and injured in Ukraine in the month, verified by the UN. A verified minimum — the actual numbers are higher.
Claims by the parties are not independently verified. Independent counts are minimums identified by name.
Russian losses as reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, published by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. A claim by a party to the war, not independently verified. "Personnel" includes killed and wounded.
Personnel
≈ 1,570,540
| Metric | Value | Daily | 7 days | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ≈ 1,570,540 | +1,820 | +13,190 | +50,890 |
| Tanks | 12,436 | +11 | +22 | +75 |
| Armoured combat vehicles | 25,586 | +16 | +51 | +221 |
| Artillery systems | 51,403 | +44 | +208 | +1,261 |
| MLRS | 2,228 | +1 | +16 | +79 |
| Air defence systems | 1,716 | +2 | +12 | +54 |
| Aircraft | 449 | ±0 | +6 | +7 |
| Helicopters | 356 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
| UAVs | 573,392 | +1,820 | +9,803 | +45,699 |
| Cruise missiles | 5,138 | ±0 | +12 | +27 |
| Ships and boats | 35 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
| Submarines | 2 | ±0 | ±0 | ±0 |
| Vehicles and fuel tanks | 165,278 | +407 | +2,489 | +13,417 |
| Special equipment | 4,844 | +2 | +16 | +115 |
| Unmanned ground vehicles | 2,990 | +4 | +39 | +278 |
Ukrainian losses as reported by the Ministry of Defence of Russia. A claim by a party to the war, not independently verified.
Personnel
≈ 1,000,000
| Metric | Value | Daily | 7 days | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | ≈ 1,000,000 | — | — | — |
| Aircraft | 674 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Helicopters | 284 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| UAVs | 266,887 | +7,713 | +7,713 | — |
| Air defence systems | 672 | ±0 | ±0 | — |
| Armoured combat vehicles | 31,332 | +142 | +142 | — |
| MLRS | 1,792 | +6 | +6 | — |
| Artillery systems | 36,772 | +81 | +81 | — |
| Vehicles and fuel tanks | 75,164 | +934 | +934 | — |
Separate from the parties' claims: cases identified by name, with their methodology and limitations. Not comparable line by line with official figures.
Russian service members killed in the war, identified by name by Mediazona and BBC Russian (obituaries, relatives' posts, local media, state registries). A minimum — not the total number of deaths.
Deaths identified by name
258,989
Limitations: The latest months are the most incomplete and are filled in with a delay.
Since 24.02.2022, cumulative, updated about every two weeks.
Ukrainian service members killed since 24 February 2022, identified by name by the independent project UALosses (obituaries, local authorities and media, relatives' posts). A minimum — not the total number of deaths. The missing and prisoners are counted separately and are not included.
Deaths identified by name
94,301
Methodology: Only deaths with a name and a source are counted, including non-combat deaths. The figure is from the project's Statistics page ("Killed" for post-February 2022 records); the total in the site header also includes 2014–2021.
Limitations: Anonymous volunteers; data for large cities, Transcarpathia, the east and the south are scarce. The latest months are filled in with a delay.
Since 24.02.2022, cumulative. The project has not been updated since 21.06.2026.
Estimates by think tanks and intelligence services — not counts and not official figures. Shown as ranges, as published, and never added to other figures.
Ukrainian military killed and total military casualties (killed, wounded, missing) since 24 February 2022, as estimated by the US think tank CSIS. An estimate — not a count and not an official figure.
Military killed
≈ 150,000
Estimate: 125,000 – 150,000
Military casualties (killed, wounded, missing)
≈ 625,000
Estimate: 525,000 – 625,000
Methodology: CSIS estimate (Seth G. Jones, Riley McCabe) based on open sources and interviews with US and European officials. "Military casualties" as CSIS defines them — killed, wounded and missing. Values are ranges as published.
Limitations: An estimate, not a count: the method and assumptions are not fully published. The June 2025 brief counted casualties as killed and wounded (no missing) and is not included.
Cumulative since 24.02.2022; with each new CSIS brief.
Russian military killed and total military casualties (killed, wounded, missing) since 24 February 2022, as estimated by the US think tank CSIS. An estimate — not a count and not an official figure.
Military killed
≈ 450,000
Estimate: 400,000 – 450,000
Military casualties (killed, wounded, missing)
≈ 1,400,000
Methodology: CSIS estimate (Seth G. Jones, Riley McCabe) based on open sources and interviews with US and European officials. "Military casualties" as CSIS defines them — killed, wounded and missing. Values are ranges as published.
Limitations: An estimate, not a count: the method and assumptions are not fully published. The June 2025 brief counted casualties as killed and wounded (no missing) and is not included.
Cumulative since 24.02.2022; with each new CSIS brief.
Start of hostilities
The war that turns the Black Sea into a combat zone begins. The same day Russian warships attack Snake Island.
Political decision
Türkiye applies the Montreux Convention and bars warships of the warring parties, except those returning to base.
Naval action
The flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet sinks after a strike Ukraine says was made with Neptune missiles.
Diplomacy
An agreement for the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports is signed in Istanbul.
Political decision
The agreement lapses; strikes on the ports of Odesa and the Danube follow.
Other
A merchant ship leaves Odesa through the temporary corridor along the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria.
Aircraft lost or damaged in the war, by operator and kind. Fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and UAVs are separate; documented losses, official claims and estimates are never added together.
Fixed-wing aircraft
Helicopter
Unmanned aerial vehicle
| Kind | Independently documentedoperator acknowledgement or independent sources | Official claimsnot independently verified | Unconfirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-wing aircraft | 125 | 14 | 3 |
| Helicopter | 125 | 12 | 2 |
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | 15 | — | — |
Fixed-wing aircraft
Helicopter
Unmanned aerial vehicle
| Kind | Independently documentedoperator acknowledgement or independent sources | Official claimsnot independently verified | Unconfirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-wing aircraft | 105 | 13 | 2 |
| Helicopter | 40 | — | 1 |
| Unmanned aerial vehicle | 49 | 4 | 8 |
Incidents of the war — editorial and historical records, each on the map only as precisely as the sources allow.
Figures come from the sources shown, with their basis. Claims by the parties are not independently verified.
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The maritime side of the conflict — ships struck, mines and incidents in the Black Sea.
Go to the Black Sea →Military vessels sunk
14
Civilian vessels sunk
7
Military vessels damaged
15
Civilian vessels damaged
57
| Military | Civilian | |
|---|---|---|
| Destroyed | 6 | 0 |
| Captured | — | 12 |
| Scuttled | 1 | — |
Unique vessels affected by the war
197
175 maritime incidents · 213 ship-events
Never merged: each sea on its own, by the sea of the event that decided each vessel's outcome.
| Waters | Vessels | Military vessels sunk | Incidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sea | 197 | 14 | 175 |
| Sea of Azov | 40 | 2 | 27 |
| Kerch Strait | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Danube | 31 | 1 | 19 |
| Total | 276 | 17 | 226 |
All 174 Black Sea incidents involving ships since 24 February 2022 — editorial and historical records — by month. Pick a year, or a month in the chart.
Only the month is known
Only the month is known

RussiaRussia–Ukraine War
The measures cover individuals and companies that Kyiv says are involved in missile production or supply Russia’s defence industry. However, the announcement of sanctions does not mean that supplies have been cut off or production slowed.

United StatesRussia–Ukraine War
The Ukrainian president is pressing Washington to authorise deliveries of air defence missiles. The status of the request on the US side and the reasons for the delay have not been independently confirmed.

BulgariaRussia–Ukraine War
Moscow says the ships were serving the Ukrainian military, but neither the strikes nor the purpose of the shipments has been independently confirmed. The locations of the alleged attacks and the condition of the ships remain unknown.

New York, USANaval Warfare
According to Geopolitiki, the Greek prime minister will chair a Security Council meeting on 29 October. For now, this is a diplomatic programme, not a set of agreed measures.

Black SeaGeopolitics
The information comes from a single source and has not been independently confirmed.

BulgariaAnalysis
Allied and Bulgarian surveillance in the Black Sea is increasing, while regional security mechanisms remain at different stages of preparation. In Flank’s assessment, the central question is how the information gathered will translate into timely decisions and effective protection for ships and infrastructure.

SofiaDanube
The rail option was discussed because of difficulties with navigation on the Danube. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Bulgaria was working to improve shipping security in the Black Sea, without announcing specific new military measures.

BulgariaShipping
Bucharest and Ankara will step up trilateral talks with Sofia, Romania’s foreign minister said. The announcement follows reports of a merchant ship sinking off Constanța, but specific measures have not been detailed.