The Soviet Extraordinary State Commission formed in World War II in order to investigate the Nazi crimes , which was tasked also with compensating the state for damages suffered by the USSR , reported 8.2 million Soviet civilian war dead , ( 4.0 million in Ukraine ; 2.5 million in Belarus ; and 1.7 million in Russia ) as the result of German occupation . These figures have been disputed outside of Russia . Some reports prepared by the Commission are now considered outright fabrications , such as the shifting of blame for the Katyn massacre perpetrated by the Soviet authorities themselves . The losses were for the entire territory of the USSR in 1946 to 1991 borders , including territories occupied by the Red Army in 1939 – 1940 . The commission reported figures of 2.4 million civilian losses in annexed lands included citizens of prewar Poland along with inhabitants of other states occupied by the Soviet Union . The overall statistics included Russian victims of Stalinist terror as well
Katyn massacre
Katyn massacre
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