Is it true that more than 50,000 mobilized from the Chernigov region died in the war in Ukraine?

At the beginning of 2024, social networks circulated a statement allegedly made by the head of the administration of the Ukrainian region. We checked to see if he said anything similar.

As reported in the news, the head of the Chernihiv regional administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, said that the total number of “mobilized people who will no longer return to the region” is approximately 50,000 people. In posts on Telegram, these people were described as dead. Similar publications appeared, for example, in the channels Colonelcassad (287,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), TarikNezalejko️ (226,000), "Veteran's Notes» (152,000), "Sheikh Tamir" (149,000) and "Petya the First"(89,000).

The topic of military losses in Ukraine after the start of a full-scale invasion of Russian troops into the country is constantly becoming a subject of speculation, since there is no official information in the public field. In December 2022, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak appreciated the losses of the Ukrainian side are 10,000 - 13,000 people, without specifying whether we are talking only about the killed or also about the wounded. The New York Times in August 2023, citing Pentagon sources voiced a much more serious figure - about 70,000 killed. In any case, 50,000 dead soldiers were from the Chernigov region alone (and this is one of more than two dozen regions of Ukraine, and relatively sparsely populated) is a number that should have provoked a big scandal in the country.

Indeed, on January 2, the head of the Chernihiv regional administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, held briefing, at which he summed up the results of the past year, 2023. One of questionsposed to Chaus was about migration. The official was asked how the demographic situation has changed since the beginning of the full-scale war and how this affects life and the economy of the Chernihiv region. The response of the head of the region was as follows: “It has changed uncritically from the point of view of the existing population, that is, within 50,000 it has become less. Again, most [of them] left. There is a certain internal migration, mainly from border areas.”

Neither in this answer, nor during the press conference at all did the Chernigov official speak about the dead servicemen. In principle, it would be strange to expect Chaus to disclose such information - in wartime, the disclosure of accurate data on losses can be regarded as a violation of state secrets.

How did the decrease in the population of the region turn into 50,000 mobilized dead? Many Russian Telegram channels illustrated this news with a screenshot of a publication on the website of the National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine.

Indeed, “Suspilne” on the morning of January 3 published such news, but even the screenshot shows that the headline is simply about a decrease in the permanent population of the Chernigov region. However, already at 17:47 Moscow time on the pro-Russian channel “Dill fresh” a report appeared according to which Chaus allegedly first stated that there were 50,000 mobilized citizens who would no longer return to the region, and then corrected himself by mentioning migration to other regions of the country. In the wording of the “Ukrop Fresh”, the information subsequently spread across dozens of other Russian pro-war Telegram channels. This is far from the first such fake about allegedly leaked information about huge Ukrainian losses during the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.

Cover photo: screenshots from social networks

Fake

What do our verdicts mean?