Russia engages up to 640,000 troops against Ukraine, Kyiv’s top general says

General Oleksandr Syrskyy, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, stated on 15 May that Russia has fully shifted to a strategy of attritional warfare, employing a unified military grouping of up to 640,000 troops against Ukraine. He made the statement during a videoconference at the Ukraine–NATO Council in military format at the level of commanders-in-chief.

According to Syrskyi’s Telegram channel, he stated:

“Despite diplomatic calls, Russia has not abandoned its goals on the battlefield,” the commander said. “Moscow has turned its aggression into a war of attrition and is using a joint grouping of forces totaling up to 640,000 personnel.”

He reported that Ukraine’s Armed Forces are engaged in active combat operations along a frontline stretching approximately 1,100 kilometers. According to Syrskyy, Ukrainian troops continue to conduct effective defensive operations and are inflicting significant losses on Russian forces.

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During the session, Syrskyy addressed Ukraine’s most urgent defense needs. He raised the issue of both individual and collective training of Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of partner states and emphasized the importance of further supply of military equipment, arms, and logistics for Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

He separately thanked NATO for the work of the Special NATO Mission for Security Assistance and Support to Ukraine (NSATU), and emphasized the importance of implementing interoperability projects under the NATO–Ukraine Roadmap. He highlighted the need to accelerate the creation of an integrated architecture for air and missile defense cooperation.

Syrskyy concluded his address by calling for unity among NATO allies.

“Only a firm, consolidated position from the international community can force the aggressor to stop the war,” he said.

He described principled and united support from partner countries as critical for achieving a just and lasting peace.