NATO chief reveals the scale of Russia's battlefield losses in Ukraine
Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy and businessman Jared Kushner are working to achieve peace in Ukraine, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
What Rutte said
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Ukraine continues to inflict significant losses on Russia on the battlefield.
"They are, as we speak, killing and seriously wounding about between 30,000 to 35,000 Russians a month. These are, of course, incredible numbers," Rutte said.
He added that the losses are affecting not only Russia's military but also the country's economy.
Rutte emphasized that Ukrainian forces are effectively striking Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries.
Read also: Ukraine ready for talks with Russia, but patience has limits, envoy tells UN
Who is working on a peace deal
The NATO chief said that members of US President Donald Trump's team are working toward a peace agreement.
According to Rutte, progress in negotiations will only be possible if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to engage in the process alongside other parties.
At the same time, Rutte noted that the Kremlin leader continues to insist on his maximalist demands.
What was said about Russia's war spending
Rutte also stated that roughly half of Russia's state budget is allocated to defense.
In addition, he said that about three-quarters of the country's tax revenues are being spent on military needs.
Meanwhile, drones attacked a major gas processing plant in Russia. The facility, located in the Astrakhan region and involved in supporting Russia's fuel and energy sector, reportedly came under attack.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine also reported that the United States intends to replicate Ukraine's experience in producing FPV drones.
The US military plans to scale up production to as many as 600,000 FPV drones per month.
