The Russian Federation continues to strengthen its military presence on the front, relying on numerical superiority.
About 695 thousand Russian troops, including operational reserves, are deployed against Ukraine.
The size of the Russian army
This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Alexander Syrsky, during a conversation with journalists.
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According to him, over the past year, more than 440 thousand contract soldiers have joined the ranks of the Russian army. Their motivation is mainly financial reward: “they fight for money and bonuses.”
In addition to the forces directly involved in Ukraine, Russia maintains about 121,000 in strategic reserves. This includes 13 divisions, regiments and brigades that can be quickly transferred to the front if necessary.
“Thus, their army increases by an average of 8-9 thousand monthly,” noted Syrsky.
He stressed that Moscow continues to adhere to a strategy of war of attrition, trying to break Ukraine's resistance through numbers rather than advantages in quality or tactics: They want to crush us with their human resources, to exhaust us with their mass.
Let us recall that back in September 2024 it became known that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin increased the staffing level of the Russian army by 180 thousand people.
Back in November 2024, according to sources in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the number of Russian troops in Ukraine was estimated at around 575 thousand.
The Kremlin had aimed to increase this number to 690 thousand by the end of the year, but it failed to fully implement the plan.
In addition, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese citizens who fought as part of Russian units.
The incident occurred near Tarasovka and Belogorovka. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, six foreigners participated in the clash, two of whom were captured.
