Will Ukraine reduce its military forces after war? Defense Ministry responds
Photo: Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal (Getty Images)
Ukraine does not plan to drastically reduce the number of its Security and Defense Forces after the end of the full-scale war, as these forces are considered the best guarantee of security, Ukraine's Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated during the presentation of the government’s action program.
"The army will not be sharply reduced after the end of this war. It will be a very gradual and well-calculated process, and it will not be quick, it will be gradual," Shmyhal said.
He emphasized that well-equipped and well-trained Security and Defense Forces are Ukraine’s strongest security guarantee, which is why their numbers are not expected to be significantly reduced.
"After the end of this war, Russia will remain an existential threat to Ukraine for a very long time, perhaps forever. Therefore, our best guarantee of security is our Armed Forces, strong Armed Forces, Security and Defense Forces," the Minister added.
He also noted that Ukraine is in talks with its partners about what the Ukrainian army should look like after the war.
"Whether it will be one million, or 800,000, or another figure - we are currently calculating and consulting with partners about what size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces should remain to reliably defend Europe’s eastern flank, NATO’s eastern flank," Shmyhal commented.
He added that discussions with partners also include joint financing of Ukraine’s army.
In mid-January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the total size of Ukraine’s army is 880,000 personnel. He acknowledged that this is a large army and stressed that Ukraine is not playing "with messages about downsizing,” since such forces, with the help of partners, are holding back the enemy.
At the end of 2024, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reported that the Russian army fighting in Ukraine numbered about 600,000 personnel.
