Rutte Says 30,000 Russians Killed Monthly on Battlefield

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told reporters in Brussels that his forces had ‘eliminated’ 65,000 Russian troops in December 2025 and January.

Russian military cadets take part in a rehearsal for a military parade in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on April 23, 2024. Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Feb. 12 that up to 30,000 Russian troops per month are being killed in Ukraine and that the Kremlin’s forces are only making “incremental” gains.

Rutte was speaking at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels after a meeting of defense ministers, which was not attended by U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth.