South Ossetia's losses in fighting in Ukraine have raised questions about the combatants' motives.

Of the 52 South Ossetian fighters killed in the Russian Central Military District, nearly a quarter were declared killed in the first months of 2026. A Facebook* user discussion about the combatant's death has drawn 1,500 comments, with many questioning the fighters' motives.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," 36-year-old Ramaz Eldzarov, who participated in the Russian military operation in Ukraine, was buried in Tskhinvali on April 22. In total, at least 52 combatants from South Ossetia have been killed in fighting in Ukraine.

As of 12:45 p.m. Moscow time on April 27, Facebook* users had left over 1,500 comments under the "Caucasian Knot" post about Yeldzarov's death.

The discussion was noticeably dominated by schadenfreude. Users with Ukrainian and Georgian surnames were more likely than others to express harsh reactions, while their opponents called for restraint and humanity.

Many participants in the discussion pointed to a causal link between participation in hostilities and the fighter's death. "If he had stayed home, he would be alive," wrote Mikhail Yuryev, in particular.

Many commenters questioned the motives of the Russian SVO participants from South Ossetia. "What was he looking for there? Who was he protecting?" Kuanysh Bazilov wondered, among others.

"Defenders of the Fatherland should defend their homes, not foreign countries," remarked Vyacheslav Orlov. "What grievances does the state of South Ossetia have against the state of Ukraine?" inquired Guram Guram.

"Why does this [military operation] concern Ossetia?" asked Akaki Kalandarishvili. "Everyone makes their own choice," remarked Natalia Payuk.

Only a small number of users called on the discussion participants to be humane, drawing attention to the excessively harsh reactions. "Only crazy people would rejoice in the misfortune of others," said Tatyana Berdnikova. "You shouldn't laugh at someone else's misfortune," wrote Luiza Khasieva.

There are also several comments in the thread offering condolences to the victim's family. "Blessed memory. Condolences to the family and friends," wrote Galina Kuznetcova. "It's a great pity, my condolences to the family," said Manana Abadzheva.

About 2,000 fighters from South Ossetia are participating in the SVO.

About 2,000 fighters from South Ossetia are participating in the Russian military operation, South Ossetian Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioyev announced on December 28, 2025.

He acknowledged that for South Ossetia, this is "quite a large number, since Ossetians are a small people."

According to him, South Ossetians are participating in the SVO "as a sign of respect and gratitude for Russia's support."

A contract with the Ministry of Defense allowed a defendant in the Dzhabiev case to escape trial.

It should be noted that one of the participants in the Russian SVO was former police officer Atsamaz. Naniev, a defendant in the death of Inal Dzhabiev, a person detained in Tskhinvali. In September 2024, his failure to appear in court disrupted the examination of evidence in the case.

At the next hearing, the defendant's lawyer announced that Naniev had signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and left for the military operation zone. Naniev's lawyer provided the contract, an extract from the order, and a certificate of Naniev's location as proof that he was serving in the Russian Armed Forces.

In October 2025, the Tskhinvali City Court found all defendants in Dzhabiev's death guilty. Atsamaz Naniev remains officially wanted, having managed to leave South Ossetia despite a travel ban. His case has been separated into separate proceedings.

Almost as many fighters were killed in four months as in all of 2025

According to the Caucasian Knot's calculations, in April 2026 alone, South Ossetian authorities reported at least four of their fellow countrymen killed in Ukraine.

In total, 14 South Ossetian fighters were reported killed in January-April 2026 – almost a quarter of the total (52) combatants from South Ossetia killed during the entire Russian SVO.

Of these 52 fighters, 15 were reported killed in 2025, and eight were killed in 2024. Another 15 combatants were killed in 2022-2023.

The first native of South Ossetia whose death in combat in Ukraine was officially confirmed was 35-year-old Sergeant Andrei Bakayev from Tskhinvali. He served in a Russian army unit; his death was reported by the South Ossetian Ministry of Defense on March 16, 2022.

The "Caucasian Knot" also maintains a list of names of natives of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts killed in the military operation. The list is based on data officially released by government officials and security agencies, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "North Ossetian Military District Statistics: Casualties Are Growing for Southern Russia."