Zelensky reveals the size of the Ukrainian army.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian army now has 880,000 personnel, about 300,000 more soldiers than the figure released more than a month ago.

"We have 880,000 soldiers, an army of almost one million," President Zelenskyy revealed in an interview with German television channel ARD on January 29. "Ukraine's workforce is currently around 30 million or more, but I don't know the exact number."

During his annual press conference held on December 14 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow had deployed 617,000 troops to Ukraine, of which approximately 224,000 were stationed in territories controlled by Russian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers load mortar rounds near Bakhmut, Donetsk, on January 26. Photo: AFP

On December 12, 2023, Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces numbered approximately 600,000 soldiers. He did not explain the significant discrepancy between the new figure and the previous estimate.

Kyiv is reportedly struggling to replenish its military forces, as the conflict in the country is about to enter its third year with no end in sight, leaving many Ukrainians feeling disillusioned and weary. The BBC reports that a large number of Ukrainian men have evaded military service by fleeing the country despite travel bans or by falsifying documents proving their ineligibility for conscription.

This contrasts sharply with the early stages of the conflict, when thousands of Ukrainians eagerly volunteered to join the army to defend their homeland.

President Zelensky said on January 29 that he did not know exactly how many Ukrainians had left the country after the conflict broke out, possibly between 6.5 and 7.5 million. The president argued that Ukrainians who have gone abroad must contribute to their homeland by paying taxes.

In December, the Ukrainian government announced a new bill aimed at recruiting more soldiers, including provisions such as increased penalties for those who evade military service and lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25. On January 11, the Ukrainian parliament returned the bill to the government for further review and revision, due to criticism from some MPs and the public.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict situation. Graphic: RYV

Pham Giang (According to New Voice of Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda )

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