A top Russian military official said on Wednesday that 74 Russian soldiers died fighting with Georgian troops in the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
"At least 74 servicemen were killed, 171 were wounded and 19 are missing in action as of Wednesday morning," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the General Staff, said, as cited by RIA Novosti.
A day of mourning was declared in Russia on Wednesday.
Russian authorities said earlier about 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 30,000 have fled South Ossetia since Georgia launched a large-scale offensive last Friday.
During the subsequent Russian military operation against Georgia, Moscow sent some 10,000 troops and several hundred armoured vehicles in the region.
Nogovitsyn said figures for Georgian losses were currently unavailable.