Zelenskyy: Eastern Ukraine faces volatile battlefield as Russia suffers heavy losses

The battlefield is now very volatile. There are villages that Russia is destroying, which change hands from Ukrainian forces to the enemy and vice versa. The most difficult situation is in the east. There is currently a large concentration of Russian troops and equipment in the east, but the Russians are suffering notable losses there.

"Undoubtedly, to capture us, they would need many more people, otherwise, they won’t be able to do anything. And, of course, weapons and technology help here, thanks to our technological advancements, we are holding them back in the east, where it is very difficult. But there is a lack of assistance, and above all, this is not just a matter of people," Zelenskyy said.

He points out that there are brigades that are only 60-70% equipped with weapons, with some supplies still on their way, while others "haven't arrived at all." Over the past year, many processes have been delayed, particularly due to slow decisions by the US Congress at the beginning of 2024, which led to the Ukrainians defending themselves with fewer weapons and fewer people.

"However, Russia has suffered heavy losses, the Russians lost the initiative on the Kharkiv front, their operation was stopped by our troops. Similarly, they wanted to occupy our large city of Sumy from the north, but we counterattacked in the Kursk region. We managed to establish the necessary barriers, and our military has been holding them for six months, pushing the war back into Russia and creating a buffer zone between our countries on Russian territory," the president said.

Zelenskyy also mentioned that Ukraine is currently fighting against a well-equipped Russian grouping in the east.

"The Russians are not doing so well if they have started pulling other countries into this war. We see 12,000 North Korean soldiers who came to Ukraine to fight against us, 4,000 of them have been destroyed. They have suffered heavy losses. On the Kursk front alone, Russia has lost 30-35 thousand. Of course, we have losses as well. Certainly, when you have wounded and killed, you need to train people and replenish the ranks. This is a challenge, and it is understandable," he emphasized.

Ukraine frontline

As of November 2024, the size of the Russian grouping was estimated at up to 575,000. By the end of the year, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported a stable number of 600,000.

Ukraine's Western partners believe that Russia's advance is caused by the insufficient number of Defense Forces, calling for the mobilization age to be lowered. Zelenskyy emphasized that before increasing the army, it is necessary to equip more than 100 brigades with weapons and equipment.