According to a report by Kyiv Post on Thursday, June 4, 2026, Russian youths are being led astray into what NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called a “raw deal” by the Kremlin, he said, and Rutte has warned them strongly not to enlist in the conflict in Ukraine.
Rutte made the statement at the first-ever NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv, referring to the extraordinarily high monthly casualty rates for Russian forces, and saying that Russian recruits are likely to die, be injured, or be abandoned on the battlefield.
He claims that the Moscow mobilisation system views newly recruited soldiers more as a means to an end than as highly trained professionals.
A “raw deal” was being offered to you, Rutte remarked. There will be no training for those like you who choose to fight. The quality of the equipment they’ll give you is low.
He spoke directly to those who might be drafted and cautioned them against being sent to the front lines unprepared and with insufficient equipment when they respond to Russia’s mobilisation efforts.
“While you’re out there, there is a very high chance you’ll die or be wounded,” he warned. If you get hurt, you’ll probably just have to slog through the muck and hope for the best.
Therefore, it is not an abstract concept to speak of tens of thousands of Russian casualties. To a large extent, that will be you.
Russia is suffering tens of thousands of casualties every month, according to NATO estimations quoted by Rutte. This is compared to the losses the Soviet Union had during its ten-year war in Afghanistan, but in a much shorter timescale.
Western authorities claim that Russian soldiers are under increasing pressure to maintain offensive operations in Ukraine despite high attrition levels, and these comments come while severe fighting continues.
A fresh large-scale mobilisation may be possible, according to reports from Russian political circles.
Argumenting that Russia’s current winter-spring offensive failed to accomplish its aims and that heavy frontline casualties persist, State Duma deputy Viktor Gurulev recently stated that such a tactic may be implemented in the autumn.
While attending the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the greatest danger facing Ukraine at the moment is the launch of ballistic missiles, which outweighs even the widespread drone strikes that have struck key infrastructure and cities on several occasions.
He further argued that Russian forces have made modest territorial advances in recent months, citing what he saw as the increasing combat efficacy and long-range attack capabilities of the Ukrainian national army.
Russia failed to make any notable gains in May’s battlefield engagements. Zelensky emphasised the significance of this.
According to Zelensky, who cited estimates from the Ukrainian military, the Russian forces are suffering a monthly loss of 30,000 to 35,000 personnel, with a large number of casualties and injuries. He called the casualties “huge, irrecoverable” and said they are eroding Russia’s military might.
Zelensky claims that the strategic balance is being shifted due to the magnitude of attrition, in addition to Ukraine’s persistent military resistance and continuing Western backing.
He stated that the tremendous military and economic costs of the war are forcing Moscow to choose between diplomatic engagement and maintaining the conflict……See More
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