Over 200,000 Russian soldiers and more than 1,800 officers have been either killed or wounded since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February, Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe told Der Spiegel.

Commander of United States European Command spoke as a guest of honour at a traditional dinner at Hamburg City Hall and said that “the scale of this war is unbelievable.”

According to Cavoli, Russia lost more than 2,000 tanks and the Russian forces fire over 23,000 artillery shells a day on average.

Cavoli said that after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, NATO must adapt to the new reality.

“If someone comes with a tank, you had better have a tank too. However, one of the lessons of the Cold War is that the accuracy of weapons is what matters. In addition, the production capacity of the defence industry is important. The war is won by the one capable of producing most rapidly,” he said.

At the same time, the NATO general emphasized the importance of civilian leadership: “We have learned from this conflict that civilian leadership is absolutely essential. It can mobilise a nation and inspire partners.”