A land of fallen soldiers

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia is witnessing a sharp increase in military casualties as many young men from the region have died fighting in Ukraine, with families like the Abaevas mourning their losses. This rising death toll highlights the profound social and demographic impact on the community amid Russia’s ongoing war effort, which continues despite growing public weariness and economic strain.

In the North Ossetian city of Vladikavkaz, the human cost of Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine is increasingly visible. This mountainous region in the North Caucasus, long known for providing soldiers to Russia’s military campaigns, is grappling with the loss of a significant number of its young men deployed in the war.

A dedicated burial ground in Vladikavkaz now serves as the final resting place for many soldiers killed in Ukraine. The graves are marked by headstones featuring color photographs of the deceased, carefully retouched and kiln-fired, reflecting a somber local effort to honor those who have died.

Among the region’s bereaved is Oksana Abaeva, who leads an organization for women who have lost family members in the conflict. Her 20-year-old son, Albert Abaev, was part of the full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. Despite harsh frontline conditions marked by cold and hunger, he regularly contacted his family and expressed hope for his return. Less than a month after deployment, Ms. Abaeva was notified of Albert’s death. Her husband, also serving on the front lines, managed to retrieve Albert’s body from a military morgue in Rostov-on-Don and bring it back home.

Ms. Abaeva describes a profound transformation for her community: “Over these four years, our life has been turned upside down into a ‘before’ and ‘after.’” While she wishes for an end to the fighting, she also emphasizes the need to respect those who have died in combat. She acknowledges that, unlike the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II, the current conflict does not carry the same sense of moral clarity but insists that the sacrifice made by soldiers deserves recognition.

The war’s portrayal within Russia is shaped by President Vladimir V. Putin’s long-standing narrative framing the conflict as a struggle against a fascist regime in Kyiv and its Western backers. This messaging has contributed to a normalization of warfare in Russian society, even as the conflict drags on and the toll on both lives and the economy mounts.

Despite signs of weariness, the Kremlin continues to use recent Ukrainian attacks as justification for rallying public support around the military campaign. In North Ossetia, these dynamics play out in a mixture of official patriotism, personal grief, and a stark demographic impact marked by a visible shortage of men in the local population.

The region’s losses underscore the wider challenges facing Russia as the war in Ukraine enters its third year, with families like the Abaevas caught between pride in service and the deep pain of loss.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.