Kyiv ‘can win this’ as Putin’s losses mount
Vladimir Putin’s forces may have lost a third of their personnel, killed or injured, since the invasion of Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said, as NATO declared Kyiv could win the war.
The ministry’s latest assessment of the state of the conflict reported that the main thrust of Russia’s attack, the offensive in the eastern Donbas region, was “significantly behind schedule”.
“Despite small-scale initial advances, Russia has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the past month whilst sustaining consistently high levels of attrition,” it said.
“Russia has now likely suffered losses of one third of the ground combat force it committed in February.”
Russian forces at the outset of what Putin calls a “special military operation” were estimated at 150,000 to 190,000.
At a NATO meeting in Berlin, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Putin must face defeat in Ukraine, Russia must be contained and such aggression must never happen again.”
The meeting of NATO foreign ministers agreed to provide more weapons and other support for Kyiv for as long as it takes to defeat Russia.
Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, said NATO would offer military assistance “for as long as Ukraine needs”.
NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said: “Ukraine can win this war. Ukrainians are bravely defending their homeland.”
It comes as Finland formally made its “historic” application to join the alliance and Sweden’s ruling party pledged to do the same.