Russia aims to form 11 new divisions for war in Ukraine

When asked whether Russia plans to increase its military strength this year, the Commander-in-Chief responded unequivocally.

"Sure. They plan to form no fewer than 11 divisions and continue the plans and missions that were not completed last year… They plan to draft 409,000 personnel," he said.

Oleksandr Syrskyi added that Russia's overall manpower potential is much larger, giving it an advantage in replenishing its forces.

"We know they have over 20 million in mobilization potential, and 4.5 million are trained resources that the enemy can immediately call up to reinforce units. That naturally gives them a staffing advantage," he added.

Ukraine to shift to offensive while Russia pursues new territories

Oleksandr Syrskyi also noted that Russia's objectives have not changed — Moscow aims to control all of Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine will continue defensive operations while conducting offensive operations.

"We will carry out a strategic defensive operation, but we understand that victory cannot be won through defense alone. Therefore, we will conduct offensive operations to maintain the operational initiative," he said.

Syrskyi explained that this approach forces the Russian army to commit—and redeploy—significant personnel, equipment, and ammunition to counter Ukraine's active operations.

In late December, the former head of Ukrainian military intelligence (now head of the Office of the Ukrainian President), Kyrylo Budanov, outlined Russia's key objectives for 2026, stating that the Kremlin aims to fully occupy the Donbas and Zaporizhzhia regions.

See here a detailed breakdown of the Kremlin's plans in Ukraine for 2026.