Daniel Wolfram
Putin burned through 50,000 of his soldiers just last month, as they were killed in combat or severely wounded.
Speaking at the Atlantic Future Forum a few days ago, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gave a grim comparison of how many soldiers Russia loses in Ukraine.
In recent months, over 40,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or severely wounded each month, The New Voice of Ukraine reported.
Rutte compared it to America’s entire 14-year war in Vietnam. He also warned that October’s losses looked even worse.
Over 50,000 killed just last month
“The United States in 14 years, in Vietnam, lost 56,000,” Rutte said. “Here in one month, Russia, dead or seriously wounded, 40,000. And in October, early reporting indicates this number may have climbed to over 50,000. 50,000 in one month.”
On November 9, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that a record 2,980 Russian troops had been killed or severely wounded in a day, the highest daily toll since the invasion began back in 2022.
Trying to break Ukraine’s spirit
The NATO boss argues that since Russian President Vladimir Putin is failing on the battlefield, he has shifted his focus toward breaking Ukrainian morale.
As the calendar turns to winter, Russian drones and missiles are killing civilians and damaging vital infrastructure.
Beyond Ukraine’s borders, sabotage and disruption have also grown across Europe, according to Rutte. He accused Russia of using arson, cyber-attacks, and drone incidents to divide European allies and halt military support to Kyiv.
“Putin is trying to divide us, destabilize our societies, and disrupt our support for Ukraine with arson, drone incidents, cyber-attacks, and other malicious activities,” Rutte said. “But let’s be clear. He is failing. For every Russian hybrid attack against our nations, we are sending more support to Ukraine.”
