Russia losing 'massive' 25,000 troops monthly in Ukraine as war grinds on, NATO chief says

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Tuesday that Russia is losing betwixt 20,000 and 25,000 troops each period successful its warfare against Ukraine arsenic warring drags connected into a 4th year.

Rutte told the Renew Europe Global Europe Forum successful Brussels that the staggering fig of casualties bespeak the strength of Ukraine’s defense, but warned that Russia remains NATO’s astir important semipermanent threat.

He cited Moscow’s round-the-clock weapons accumulation and a signifier of assertive behaviour that helium said shows nary motion of easing.

"Let's not hide that the Russians astatine the infinitesimal are losing monolithic amounts of their soldiers," the NATO main said.

PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA'S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a associated property league with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic successful Zagreb, Croatia, connected Jan. 12, 2026. (Antonio Bronic/Reuters)

"In months, this is 20 to 25,000 Russians dead. I'm not talking earnestly wounded, killed. Dead. Twenty to 25,000 a month," Rutte told attendees. "When you comparison that to the Afghan warfare successful the 1980s, they mislaid 20,000 successful 10 years. Now, they suffer these amounts, and more, successful 1 month. So, that's besides unsustainable connected their side."

A June survey from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based defence and nationalist information deliberation tank, recovered that Russia has suffered extraordinarily precocious casualties portion making lone marginal territorial gains successful Ukraine.

Since January 2024, Russian forces person seized astir 5,000 quadrate kilometers, little than 1% of Ukraine’s territory, portion full Russian casualties person climbed toward 1 million, including arsenic galore arsenic 250,000 killed, according to the analysis.

Ukrainian soldiers behaviour infantry and vessel coordination drills during a grooming workout successful Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, connected Feb. 15, 2025. (Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE PEACE TALKS 'PROCEEDING CONSTRUCTIVELY,' AS KREMLIN LAUNCHES DEADLY STRIKE ON ODESA

Moscow has continued striking Kyiv with missiles and drones arsenic Washington works to unafraid a imaginable bid statement to extremity the conflict. 

Repeated Russian strikes connected Ukraine successful caller weeks person near hundreds of thousands without energy and heating arsenic temperatures plunge beneath freezing.

People get astatine a structure acceptable up by exigency services to lukewarm up aft apartments were near without heating during sub-zero temperatures successful Kyiv, Ukraine, connected Jan. 13, 2026. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said connected Wednesday that Russia struck the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, targeting its vigor facilities and captious infrastructure.

U.S. lawman Ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce condemned erstwhile Russian strikes during an exigency Security Council gathering successful New York connected Monday arsenic a "dangerous and inexplicable escalation."