Kyiv, Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that young Russians who sign up to fight in Ukraine would probably die or be wounded, warning that recruits face poor training and substandard equipment.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Rutte addressed his remarks directly to young Russians and their families, saying they were being offered “a raw deal”.
Warning to Russian recruits
Rutte said men joining Russia’s war in Ukraine would not be properly trained and would receive substandard equipment.
He said there was a very high chance that recruits would die or be wounded while fighting, and added that those wounded could be left to suffer and die.
Claims on Russian losses
Rutte said Russia was suffering “absolutely staggering” losses in Ukraine, stating that more than 30,000 Russian soldiers were dying every month.
He said that level of loss meant Russia was losing more men in one month than the Soviet Union lost in 10 years in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
Russian position
Russia officially describes the conflict as a “special military operation” and promises recruits large salaries.
Moscow has long argued that NATO’s eastward expansion since the end of the Cold War, and the prospect of Ukraine joining the alliance, pose an existential threat to its security.