Record spike in number of disabled men in Russia linked to war casualties
Last year in Russia, 2.17 million disabled men aged between 31 to 59 were registered – this number broke records for the first time in eight years. The independent Russian service "Werstka" conducted an analysis based on data from the pension fund and social insurance.
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According to "Werstka", in 2022, there officially were 1.67 million disabled men in Russia aged between 31 to 59. Thus, by 2023, this number has increased by around 507,000, or 30 percent. "This marks the largest increase in the past eight years," we read.
Russians hide the truth
In 2023, one of the highest counts was recorded in the category of disabled men aged 18–30: approximately 290,000 individuals. Only in 2016 and 2017 were these figures surpassed, with roughly 319,000 and 302,000 respectively. The Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) has withheld the data for 2022.
Demographer Alexei Raksza suggested to "Werstka" that the surge in the number of disabled men is chiefly attributable to military casualties.
- The inclusion, even partially, of these individuals in these statistics could influence the figures significantly. I believe the actual number of disabled soldiers could be in the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. If the increase is smaller, it might indicate that they are being partially or entirely concealed, he stated.
Another demographer, preferring to remain anonymous when speaking to the portal, also observed a "certain connection" between the uptick in the number of disabled men and the ongoing conflict.
Colossal Russian losses
"Werstka" noted that Rosstat has withheld on its website data concerning the number of disabled individuals among men aged 18 to 30.
By early January 2024, the Russian army's casualties in Ukraine are estimated at around 75,000 soldiers - according to evaluations by the independent service Mediazona and the Russian section of the BBC. In August 2023, "The New York Times" cited American officials who "estimated Ukrainian military losses at 70,000 killed and between 100,000 to 200,000 wounded".
