Ukraine war: NATO expects major Russian losses

According to NATO estimates, the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine has exceeded 300,000. “Militarily, Russia has lost a significant part of its conventional armed forces,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after an alliance meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels. This also included hundreds of aircraft and thousands of tanks.

At the same time, Stoltenberg warned against placing high hopes on the losses leading to a quick end to the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has a high threshold of tolerance when it comes to victims, said the Norwegian. Russian goals in Ukraine have not changed.

Stoltenberg did not say how many of the Russian victims NATO estimates are dead. There was also no information about losses on the Ukrainian side. Instead, Stoltenberg emphasized the country’s successes in the defense against the invaders from Russia.

50 percent of occupied territory recaptured

Ukraine won the battles for Kiev, Kharkiv and Kherson last year and is inflicting heavy losses on Russia again this year, he said. The country has now reconquered 50 percent of the territory originally occupied by Russia. In addition, the Russian fleet was pushed back in the Black Sea, which would have made it possible to set up routes for grain exports.

“Most importantly, Ukraine has asserted itself as a sovereign, independent nation,” Stoltenberg added. “This is an important achievement – a big win.” Russia, on the other hand, is becoming more and more dependent on China. “Moscow is pledging its future to Beijing,” he said. While Ukraine has made progress, Russia has fallen back and is now “politically, militarily and economically weaker.”