EU’s Kaja Kallas Says Russia Lost 54,000 Troops in October, Warns Moscow Cannot Sustain Such Heavy Losses

Russia suffered a record 54,000 military casualties in October alone, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who warned that Moscow cannot sustain losses on such a scale indefinitely and called for greater pressure on Russia rather than Ukraine to end the war.

Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw on Friday, November 6, Kallas said the October figure included Russian troops killed and wounded, comparing the number to the capacity of Poland’s National Stadium.

“This is a staggering amount, roughly the capacity of Warsaw’s National Stadium,” she said. “Russia cannot sustain such losses on such a scale indefinitely.”

The figures, presented as part of her assessment of Russia’s military position, could not be independently verified. Moscow and Kyiv regularly provide conflicting accounts of battlefield losses.

Kallas also rejected the idea that Moscow should have a say over Europe’s future security arrangements, arguing that the continent already has an established framework through NATO and the European Union, into which Ukraine must be integrated.

“NATO posed no threat to Russia in 2021, and it poses no threat to Russia at the moment,” she said. “Putin does not have a veto over European security.”

Her remarks came amid diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war, with European governments insisting that decisions affecting Ukraine and the continent’s security cannot be made without their participation.

Kallas argued that negotiations had placed disproportionate demands on Kyiv while failing to require sufficient concessions from Moscow.

“So far, all the pressure has been on Ukraine, which is not correct, because we have one aggressor and one victim,” she said. “In order to stop the war, the pressure should be on the aggressor.”

She maintained that any peace agreement would require European participation, including on sanctions and security arrangements, and should prevent Russia from launching another attack after the fighting ends.