'Defending the entire territory': Zelenskyy discloses number of Ukrainian troops
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Today, the Ukrainian army has 880,000 men. There are about 600,000 Russian troops, but because the Defence Forces defend the entire country, the enemy has a numerical advantage in some parts of the frontline, according to a briefing by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Zelenskyy stated about the number of military personnel responding to a question about the possible deployment of a foreign contingent to Ukraine. According to him, this is being considered as part of the "future program" regarding the positioning of forces and assets.
"Why? One way or another, even after the war, we must understand who we are dealing with. You know, today there are 600,000 (a little more) Russian troops on the territory of our state. Maybe a little less, depending on how well our guys performed today. As for the Ukrainian army, it currently stands at 880,000. But 880,000 are defending the entire territory. Russian forces are concentrated in certain directions," Zelenskyy said.
For this reason, the Russian forces have a numerical advantage in some areas. The president emphasized that Ukraine supports the initiative of involving a foreign contingent, but first, it is necessary to understand what it might look like and, second, what the Ukrainian army will be like.
"This is a very large army. So playing games with messages about downsizing, etc., is not something we are engaging in today. Because it is precisely such a large army that is holding back the enemy today. This is also a serious, and currently the only, security guarantee. Plus assistance, plus weapons from our partners. Therefore, preserving a large army is also part of these agreements," Zelenskyy added.
What was known earlier
President Zelenskyy has not mentioned the figure of 880,000 Ukrainian troops for the first time. A year ago, he stated this in an interview with the German TV channel ARD.
"We have 880,000. We have a million-strong army... I can't give an exact number," he said.
The number of Russian forces as of November 2024 was assessed by an RBC-Ukraine source in the General Staff. According to them, the Russian grouping numbered up to 575,000.
By the end of the year, Defense Intelligence representative Andrii Yusov reported that the enemy grouping in Ukraine had a stable strength of around 600,000.
Ukraine's Western partners have linked the recent advances of Russian forces on the frontline to the allegedly insufficient size of the Defense Forces. In this regard, there have been calls to lower the mobilization age from the current 25 to 18.
Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that before considering increasing the size of the army, it is necessary to adequately supply existing brigades with weapons and equipment. According to him, more than 100 brigades are currently engaged on the battlefield and require equipment.
