NATO chief expects Ukraine's new defense minister to maintain current strategy toward 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."

Rutte also noted that Ukraine is "striking deep inside Russia," targeting the country's energy infrastructure and industrial base.

As reported by Ukrinform, on July 14, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Under Ukrainian law, the resignation of the Prime Minister automatically triggered the resignation of the entire government.

On July 16, parliament approved President Volodymyr Zelensky's nomination of Sergii Koretskyi as Prime Minister and confirmed the new Cabinet of Ministers, with the exception of the defense and foreign ministers, whose nominations are submitted to parliament by the President.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the reason for Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal was the ministry's ineffective communication with the military leadership. According to the President, such communication did not function properly without his personal involvement.

Protests against Fedorov's dismissal as defense minister were held in several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv.