Russia Loses Vietnam-War-Level Troop Numbers in a Month, Rutte Says

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russia is losing more than 40,000 troops killed or seriously wounded every month in its war against Ukraine, with preliminary figures suggesting the toll exceeded 50,000 in October.Speaking at the Atlantic Future Forum on Wednesday, Nov. 11, Rutte compared Russia’s monthly losses with the total number of US troops killed during the 14-year Vietnam War.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“The United States in 14 years, in Vietnam, lost 56,000. Here in one month, Russia, dead or seriously wounded, 40,000,” Rutte said.He added that early reporting indicated Russian losses may have climbed to more than 50,000 in October alone.Rutte said Russian President Vladimir Putin was failing on the battlefield and attempting to break Ukraine’s will to fight by targeting civilians and critical infrastructure as winter approaches.“He’s hitting Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones, attempting to destroy critical infrastructure as we head into winter,” he added.Rutte also accused Russia of escalating its campaign of hostile activities across Europe, including arson, drone incidents and cyberattacks, aimed at destabilizing societies and undermining support for Ukraine.But he said Moscow’s efforts were having the opposite effect.“For every Russian hybrid attack against our nations, we are sending more support to Ukraine,” Rutte said.Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian forces suffered a record 16,130 personnel casualties between Nov. 1 and Nov. 7, the highest weekly figure since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Other Topics of Interest Russia Pounds Kyiv With Ballistic Missiles, Fires Reported Across Capital Explosions rocked Kyiv overnight as air defenses engaged incoming missiles, with authorities reporting fires at several locations on the city’s left bank. This amounted to an average of more than 2,300 Russian troops killed or wounded daily.The record followed a series of unprecedented daily losses, including 2,500 Russian casualties on Nov. 1, surpassing the previous single-day record of 2,250 recorded on Oct. 21.Ukrainian military officials attributed the mounting toll to intense fighting along the eastern and southern front lines, where Russian forces continue to rely on mass infantry assaults.Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) also reported inflicting 16,796 Russian military casualties in October alone, averaging one Russian soldier neutralized every 159 seconds across 255,605 combat missions.President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces suffered 54,400 personnel killed or severely wounded in October. Separately, a study published by The Economist on Oct. 30 estimated that Russia’s total casualties since February 2022 ranged from 1.4 million to 2.1 million killed and wounded.The heavy personnel losses have coincided with Ukraine’s expanding campaign against Russian military infrastructure and energy facilities.In early November, Ukrainian forces struck missile launchers and an air defense system in Russia’s Bryansk region, as well as several oil refineries and other facilities supporting Russia’s military capabilities. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.