This is reported by RBK-Ukraine referencing a briefing by President Volodymyr Zelensky with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. According to Contracts.UA, the information was shared.
It is worth noting that Zelensky made the statement regarding the number of troops in response to a question about the potential introduction of foreign contingents in Ukraine. He mentioned that this is being considered within the framework of a "future program" concerning the deployment of forces and assets.
"Why? No matter what, even after the war, we need to understand who we are dealing with. You know, today there are 600,000 (a little more) Russian troops on the territory of our state. It might be slightly less, depending on how our guys are performing today. As for the Ukrainian army, it currently numbers 880,000. However, 880,000 are responsible for the defense of the entire territory. Russian troops are concentrated in certain directions," Zelensky stated.
For this reason, in some areas, the Russians have a quantitative advantage. The president emphasized that Ukraine supports the initiative for a foreign contingent, but first, it is essential to understand what it might look like, and second, what the state of the Ukrainian army will be.
"This is a very large army. Therefore, games with messages about reductions, etc. - we are not playing that game today. Because it is precisely this large army that is currently holding back the enemy. This is also a serious, and at present, the only guarantee of security. Plus assistance, plus weapons from our partners. Therefore, maintaining a large army is also part of these agreements," Zelensky added.
What was known earlier
President Zelensky has mentioned the figure of 880,000 Ukrainian troops before. 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 figure," he said.
The strength of the occupying forces as of November 2024 was estimated by a source from RBK-Ukraine in the General Staff. According to him, the Russian grouping numbered up to 575,000.
By the end of the year, GUR representative Andriy Yusov mentioned that the hostile grouping in Ukraine has a stable number of approximately 600,000.
It should be noted that Ukraine's Western partners connect the recent advances of the Russians on the front with the allegedly insufficient number of Defense Forces. In this regard, calls for lowering the conscription age from the current 25 to 18 years are being heard.
Recently, Zelensky stated that before considering increasing the army's numbers, it is necessary to ensure that the existing brigades are adequately supplied with weapons and equipment. According to him, more than 100 brigades are currently engaged on the battlefield, all of which require equipment.