President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine’s military currently consists of 880,000 service members defending the entire country, while facing approximately 600,000 Russian troops on Ukrainian territory.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv on 15 January, Zelenskyy provided insight into the military balance between Ukrainian and Russian forces, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
“Currently, there are 600,000 members of the Russian contingent on our territory. As for the Ukrainian army, it stands at 880,000 [personnel] today,” Zelenskyy stated.
“However, our 880,000 are defending the entire territory. Russian forces are concentrated in several directions, giving them numerical advantages in some areas.”
The president also discussed ongoing talks with allies regarding potential peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. While supporting the idea of allied contingents, he noted these discussions remain at a preliminary stage and would form one component of broader security guarantees. Zelenskyy indicated he plans to discuss this further with the British prime minister.
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