Casualties of the Second Chechen War

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Casualties in the Second Chechen War are hard to pin down. Numbers vary widely and many figures are unverified. Civilian deaths in Chechnya and nearby areas are generally spoken of in the tens of thousands, but exact totals are disputed and some claims are much higher or lower. Some estimates mix in deaths from the First Chechen War (1994–1996) or civilians from neighboring regions where violence spilled over.

Russian military and security forces suffered thousands of fatalities over the years. A commonly cited tally includes:
- About 3,676 Russian soldiers killed
- About 2,364–2,572 Interior Ministry troops killed
- 1,072 Chechen police officers killed
- 106 FSB and GRU operatives killed

Chechen militants and rebel fighters were killed in large numbers as well, with different sources giving varying totals, often much higher or lower depending on the period and method of counting.

Overall, there is no single accepted total for casualties. The figures cited by governments, human-rights groups, and researchers differ a lot, reflecting the intensity of the fighting, propaganda, and the difficulty of counting missing people. What is clear is that the war caused immense suffering for civilians and fighters on all sides.