сопу́тствующий уще́рб
sopútstvujuščij uščérbinanimate, masculine
The English phrase "collateral damage" is translated into Russian as сопу́тствующий уще́рб (sopútstvujuščij uščérb). Wiktionary also lists сопу́тствующая поте́ря (sopútstvujuščaja potérja).
Meaning: collateral damage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| сопу́тствующий уще́рб | sopútstvujuščij uščérb | inanimate, masculine |
| сопу́тствующая поте́ря | sopútstvujuščaja potérja | feminine |
Which one should you use?
The phrase Коллатеральный ущерб is a direct translation of 'collateral damage' used in formal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase сопу́тствующий уще́рб, a masculine adjective is used to agree with the masculine noun уще́рб.
How do you pronounce it?
sopútstvujuščij uščérb
Did you know?
- The adjective сопу́тствующий is built from the same root as the word for 'satellite', meaning it describes the damage as something that 'accompanies' or 'travels alongside' the primary target.
- In casual Russian, people often avoid the formal term for 'collateral damage' and instead use побо́чный, which is the same word used to describe 'side effects' of a medicine.
- Using the noun уще́рб to refer to human casualties can sound strangely mechanical or dehumanizing to a Russian ear, so speakers often switch to поте́ря to acknowledge the human element.
Examples in context
- Во время бомбардировочной кампании произошел значительный коллатеральный ущерб, включая разрушение близлежащих жилых зданий и гибель невинных людей.During the bombing campaign, there was significant collateral damage, including the destruction of nearby residential buildings and the loss of innocent lives.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a military report.
- Сергей SergeyСергей, посмотри на этот отчёт об ударе.Sergey, posmotri na etot otchet ob udare.Sergey, look at this strike report.
- Мария MariaТам зафиксирован сопу́тствующий уще́рб?Tam fiksirovan soputstvuyushchiy ushcherb?Is there any collateral damage recorded there?
- Сергей SergeyДа, повреждены несколько жилых зданий.Da, povrezhdeny neskolko zhilykh zdaniy.Yes, several residential buildings were damaged.
- Мария MariaЭто очень плохие новости для нас.Eto ochen plokhie novosti dlya nas.That is very bad news for us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “collateral damage” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
