Russia's tactical gains and heavy losses in Ukraine conflict
A senior NATO official told a group of journalists in Brussels that Russia is making tactical gains in the war against Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that Russian losses at the front amounted to about 1,500 soldiers a day. In his opinion, Russia is likely recruiting about 30,000 soldiers monthly, which allows it to offset these significant losses.
- Over the past month, Russia has increased the pace of its offensive operations, attempting to ramp up pressure on Ukrainian lines, aiming to push back Ukrainian forces on several fronts, including the Kursk region, east of the Oskil River, in the Toretsk and Pavlivka area, and in the Vuhledar region - the source said. Despite this, he noted that the high loss rate, limited training, and shortage of officers limit the Russian operational capabilities.
Russia's advantage over Ukraine
Despite the losses, Russia maintains a numerical advantage over Ukraine in terms of ammunition and equipment. Russia is likely recruiting about 30,000 new soldiers monthly. Therefore, the NATO official assessed that Russia can probably continue to absorb these substantial losses while simultaneously trying to deplete Ukrainian forces.
NATO Headquarters notes that recent tactical advances by Russian forces are substantial. - There were periods when we talked about Russian advances being, say, around 10 metres a day, and now there are days when we are talking about 10 kilometres. So there has undoubtedly been an acceleration in the pace of Russian advances - the official admitted.
North Korea's involvement and escalation
NATO notes that Russia is engaging North Korean troops in the war. - Vladimir Putin has clearly escalated. Therefore, enabling Ukraine to use long-range weapons is a responsible, coordinated step taken by several allies in response to this provocation, this escalation by Russia - said the NATO official.
The importance of support from the US, Canada, and European allies was also emphasised.
Russian air strikes
Russian air strikes on Ukraine have intensified, and their main target is critical infrastructure, particularly power plants. - If there were a significant reduction in US support, it would have a decisive impact on the battlefield - the NATO official said. Attacks using missiles and drones aim to break Ukrainian air defences.
NATO Headquarters in Brussels believes that the Russian leader is currently not serious about peace negotiations. - I think that Vladimir Putin (…) as long as he believes he is winning, does not have much willingness to negotiate - the official stated.
New threats
Asked about the Russian Oryeshnik missile, the official assessed that, for now, it does not pose a significant threat due to limited production.
- Russia has only a small number of them. Putin has made it clear that he is starting mass production of this system. He announced this last week. So we do not expect them to be used on a large scale in the near future – the official assessed.
NATO Headquarters has no information on the long-term deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. - This does not mean there have not been short-term deployments in the past or that there will not be any in the future, but that they are more demonstrative than strategically significant - the NATO source conveyed.
