Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Syrsky: Russia plans to increase the number of its troops in Ukraine to 690 000 by the end of the year

Russia plans to increase the number of its troops in Ukraine to 690 000 by the end of the year.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi informed that at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation had 100 000 soldiers, and now the number of occupying troops has increased to 520 000 and will be replenished.

The Russians also have a significant advantage in technology. A ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 is in their favor, says Syrskyi. For example, the number of Russian tanks has doubled since 2022 (from 1 700 to 3 500), the number of artillery has tripled, and the number of armored personnel carriers has increased from 4 500 to 8 900.

"The enemy has a significant advantage in terms of forces and resources. Therefore, for us, the issue of supply, the issue of quality is really at the forefront," added Syrskyi.

• Earlier, Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the Russians are increasing the intensity of hostilities because they understand that time is playing against them. Currently, the occupying forces have local successes in Donbas and are advancing slowly. The offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region has stalled, the threat of a new offensive from the north remains.