NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at a press conference in Brussels on 12 December that over 10,000 people are killed and wounded every week across Ukraine with over one million losses since February 2022.
According to Rutte, Russia lost approximately 700,000 personnel killed or wounded, describing the current month as "record-breaking" in terms of Russian casualties. As of November 2024, Russian military losses have surpassed 700,000 personnel, with a significant portion attributed to recent months of intense fighting. Reports indicate that November alone accounted for approximately 45,690 casualties, marking the highest monthly losses since the invasion began in February 2022
The ongoing war in Ukraine has resulted in staggering military and civilian casualties on both sides.
According to the NATO chief, the war continues to exact a severe humanitarian price, with Putin allegedly attempting to "erase Ukraine from the map." Rutte stressed that the front lines are changing slowly and at an extremely high cost.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian military losses stand at 43,000 killed and 370,000 wounded. Zelenskyy also said that Russian forces' losses are at 750,000 total - including 198,000 killed and over 550,000 injured.
Rutte also warned that NATO is not adequately prepared for potential threats from Russia in the coming years. He called for a transition to "wartime thinking" and significantly increased defense expenditures.
Concerns about a potential Russian attack on NATO member states have been increasingly voiced by military analysts and intelligence officials. A classified German intelligence report indicated that Russia could launch an attack on a NATO member by 2026.
Read also:
- UK intel: Russia suffers unprecedented 45,680 casualties in November
- Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s losses from Russian aggression total about $ 800 bn
- Russia’s current equipment losses highest since 2022
- Ukrainian General Staff: Russian war losses in Ukraine reach 700,000
