May 9, 1945 May 9, 2019May 2, 2019 / Sasha A. Palmer Great Patriotic War: June 22, 1941 — May 9, 1945. Losses of the Soviet Union: 26.6 million lives. Some Russian politicians and journalists put the total number of losses in the war, both civilian and military, at over 40 million. Never forget. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading...