NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte does not expect the appointment of a new Ukrainian defense minister to bring major changes to Kiev's strategy in its fight against Russia.
According to Ukrinform, Rutte made the remarks in comments to DPA while responding to the dismissal of Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Rutte said he expected "continuity," noting that the Ukrainian military is "doing much better" on the front line than it was at the start of the year. He added that Russian forces are advancing only very slowly, while Ukraine has managed to launch counterattacks in some areas.
The NATO chief also noted that Russia is currently losing between 25,000 and 35,000 soldiers every month.
"If you are a young Russian man contemplating to join the war effort, you might be one of those approximately 30,000 this month or next month," the former Dutch prime minister said, calling the toll "terrible news for the families involved, for the people involved."
