Nato assumes large Russian losses
According to NATO estimates, the number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine has exceeded the 300,000 mark. "Militarily, Russia has lost a considerable 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 pinning high hopes on the losses leading to a quick end to the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has a high tolerance threshold when it comes to casualties, said the Norwegian. The Russian objectives in Ukraine had not changed.
Stoltenberg did not say how many of the Russian victims were dead according to NATO estimates. There was also no information on casualties on the Ukrainian side. Instead, Stoltenberg emphasized the country's successes in the defensive battle against the invaders from Russia.
50 percent of the occupied territory recaptured
Ukraine had won the battles for Kiev, Kharkiv and Kherson last year and was also inflicting heavy losses on Russia this year, he said. The country has now recaptured 50 percent of the territory originally occupied by Russia. In addition, the Russian fleet had been pushed back in the Black Sea, which had made it possible to establish routes for grain exports.
"The most important thing is that Ukraine has asserted itself as a sovereign, independent nation," added Stoltenberg. "This is an important achievement - a big win." Russia, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly dependent on China. "Moscow is mortgaging its future to Beijing," he said. While Ukraine had made progress, Russia had fallen behind and was now "politically, militarily and economically weaker".
- At the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed the significant losses Russia has sustained during the conflict in Ukraine, including the loss of a substantial portion of their military forces and equipment like hundreds of aircraft and thousands of tanks.
- Despite these substantial military losses, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against expecting an immediate end to the war in Ukraine due to Putin's high tolerance for casualties.
- Jens Stoltenberg commended Ukraine's success in their defensive battle against the Russian invasion, mentioning their recovery of 50% of the occupied territory and resistance against Russia's naval presence in the Black Sea, which enabled grain exports.
- Stoltenberg highlighted Ukraine's significant achievement of establishing itself as a sovereign and independent nation, placing emphasis on this as a critical win in the face of Russia's growing reliance on China, as Putin mortgages Russia's future to Beijing.
Source: www.dpa.com
