Russian pensioners are being killed on the front lines of Ukraine after signing up to collect generous financial rewards for joining their country’s invasion force. An investigation into the deaths of Russian soldiers revealed that 250 volunteers aged over 60 years old have died since the beginning of the war in February 2022.

More than 70,000 people fighting in Russia’s military have now died in Ukraine, according to data analysed by the BBC. And for the first time, volunteers - civilians who joined the armed forces after the start of the war - now make up the highest number of people killed on the battlefield since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The BBC and Mediazona have documented around 70,000 Russian soldier deaths since the invasion of Ukraine began. This figure is based on public information, but the actual number could be higher. Mediazona and Meduza estimate the toll might be 120,

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was ramping up drone production by around ten times to nearly 1.4 million this year in a bid to ensure the Russian armed forces win in Ukraine. Since Russia sent tens of thousands of soldiers into Ukraine in February 2022,