Russia's deployment of nearly 700,000 troops signals long-term war plan, Ukraine warns
Russia shows no signs it plans to wind down its war in Ukraine, with an estimated 695,000 troops deployed across an expanded front line and another 121,000 in strategic reserve, according to Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
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Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X and Telegram, said Kyiv 'has evidence' that Russia is 'preparing new military operations on European territory,' citing a report by Ukraine's defence intelligence chief but providing no additional detail. 'We will keep our partners informed.'
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With Moscow's invasion of its neighbour well into its fourth year, the Russian military is able to mobilize an average of about 9,000 new troops per month, Syrskyi told reporters in Kyiv on Saturday. Bloomberg was unable to independently verify the figures.
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'They are preparing for a protracted war, a war of attrition. This is their main strategy. They want to pressure us with their human resources, exhaust us with their mass,' Syrskyi said.
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Syrskyi spoke a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine needed to recognize the 'realities on the ground,' a reference to territory in eastern and southern Ukraine occupied by his forces.
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Ukraine and its Western partners have been trying to push Russia toward a ceasefire since March. While U.S. President Donald Trump threatened earlier he could consider more sanctions if Moscow rejected a ceasefire, the U.S. leader frustrated allies by dismissing pressure to impose tougher penalties at last week's G7 summit in Canada.
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Ukraine will continue deep strikes inside Russian territory, expanding their depth and scale, Syrskyi said. Such attacks — often aimed at targets hundreds of kilometres from the front lines — are Kyiv's most efficient way to inflict military damage on Russia, he added.
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Syrskyi floated the possibility of new counteroffensives but provided no concrete details. Merely defending doesn't bring anything except slowly losing ground and manpower, he said.
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'Of course, we will not simply remain on the full defensive,' Syrskyi said.
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In Sunday's post, Zelenskyy said a report by intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov outlined Russia's 'key vulnerabilities,' adding that Ukraine 'will strike accordingly' to 'reduce Russia's capacity for aggression.'
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Доповідь міністра внутрішніх справ України Ігоря Клименка.
Перше: дії підрозділів Національної гвардії України на фронті та конкретно застосування дронів у боях на передовій.
Друге: протидія злочинним угрупованням, пов'язаним з російськими мафіозними осередками й так званими… pic.twitter.com/SQsyA0ZFQJ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 22, 2025
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Zelenskyy on Thursday named Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces as the nation prepares to combat Russia's latest push. Addressing troop shortages is expected to be a priority.
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Syrskyi said that as of mid-June, the front lines in the nation's east and southeast stretch about 1,200 kilometres (750 miles), an increase of about 200 in the past year. In the last day alone, Ukraine's ground troops repelled some 171 clashes.
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Even as Kremlin forces look to establish a buffer zone within Ukrainian territory in the Sumy region, Kyiv's troops are maintaining a foothold in Kursk, he said, following a cross-border offensive last summer.
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'Ukraine controls 90 square kilometres (35 square miles) of the Glushkovskyi district' of Kursk oblast, Syrskyi said. 'These are our preemptive actions in response to a possible Russian offensive.'
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Syrskyi defended Ukraine's operation in Kursk region, saying it allowed Kyiv's troops to bind Russian forces there. Several Russian units rotated in April into Ukraine's east and southeast, where Kremlin troops have been slowly gaining ground, were forced to redeploy to the Kursk and Sumy regions.
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Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Ukrainian troops brace for Russian assault on Sumy, top general says
Ukraine's top general says his troops are preparing for a potential Russian assault on the northern city of Sumy, as worries grow that the war here is being forgotten after the United States waded into the Israel-Iran conflict. General Oleksander Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said Ukraine had created what he called 'a special group' to defend Sumy, which had a prewar population of 255,000. Russian troops, he added, were on the verge of entering the central Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time in more than three years of war. 'There really was a difficult situation there a week ago,' Gen. Syrskyi said of a Russian thrust that he said reached the administrative border between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions before it was repelled by Ukrainian troops. More than 70 per cent of the southeastern Donetsk region – which Russian President Vladimir Putin claims to have annexed – is under Russian occupation. In a briefing with reporters in Kyiv, Gen. Syrskyi gave a grim assessment of a war that is now being fought along a front line that stretches for 1,200 kilometres. In addition to ground fighting in six different regions of Ukraine, Russia regularly launches missile-and-drone attacks on cities around the country. 'They are preparing for a protracted war, a war of attrition. This is their main strategy. They want to pressure us with their human resources, exhaust us with their mass,' Gen. Syrskyi said. Zelensky still to make decision on attending NATO summit, seeks meeting with Trump Putin says all of Ukraine is 'ours' as he eyes capture of Sumy The Russian thrust toward Sumy became more menacing after Mr. Putin said his troops had entered the Sumy region to create a 'buffer zone' to protect the neighbouring Kursk region from attack. 'Next is the city of Sumy, the regional centre. We don't have the task of taking it, but in principle I don't rule it out,' Mr. Putin said Friday in a speech to the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. In the same speech, Mr. Putin said he considered all of Ukraine to be Russian territory. 'I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people. In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours.' Gen. Syrskyi said he had no choice but to take the threat to Sumy seriously. He said he had assigned a special unit to begin building new fortifications in and around the city, with a special emphasis on anti-drone nets to protect the soldiers guarding those trenches from danger posed by unmanned aerial vehicles. 'The main direction, of course, is Sumy … we know that the Russian commanders have received the appropriate task,' Gen. Syrskyi said, referring to Mr. Putin's speech. Gen. Syrski said Russia had deployed some of its best units, including airborne units and marines, on the Sumy front. The threat to Sumy emerged after Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region last summer. That opened a new front in the war, forcing Russia to pull some 63,000 troops from the front line in the Donetsk region and redeploy them to Kursk to repel the attack. Ukraine now clings to about 90 square kilometres of territory inside the Kursk region. While some of the redeployed units are now being used in the Russian push toward Sumy, Gen. Syrskyi said the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk was nonetheless a success because it had kept the Russians from achieving their goal of capturing the strategic Donetsk region city of Pokrovsk. Speaking of the overall situation, Gen. Syrskyi said there were currently 695,000 Russian troops stationed inside Ukraine, with another 121,000 troops in reserve. The size of the Russian army was growing by 8,000 or 9,000 soldiers a month, he said, because of financial incentives the Kremlin is offering to new recruits. Russian media have reported that – in addition to regular payments – those who join the army will have up to US$100,000 in debts written off by the state. Gen. Syrskyi wouldn't give any numbers regarding Ukraine's efforts to recruit new soldiers, but said Ukraine would be forced to increase its recruitment push. Conscription, he said, was 'an unpopular measure – but in conditions of war, no country has avoided mobilization.' Gen. Syrskyi gave his briefing hours before U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his country's air force to attack Iran's nuclear program. The fear in Kyiv now is that Mr. Trump, who briefly tried to push Russia and Ukraine towards a peace deal, will focus his attention on the Middle East, leaving Ukraine without the support of what had been its biggest ally, in terms of providing military assistance. Ukraine received US$64.6-billion in military assistance from the U.S. under former president Joe Biden, after the start of the Russian invasion in February, 2022. No new weapons shipments have been authorized since Mr. Trump took office in January. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a group of reporters that 'for President Trump, the Israel-Iran issue is certainly a higher priority today.' Mr. Zelensky was referring to Mr. Trump's abrupt departure from last week's G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Alta., less than 24 hours into the two-day summit. Mr. Trump's return to Washington and focus on the Iran file meant that he left without meeting Mr. Zelensky, who had planned to ask Mr. Trump to authorize new weapons sales to Ukraine and to adopt new sanctions against Russia. Mr. Zelensky has been invited to this week's NATO summit in The Hague but said his decision on whether or not to attend would depend on several factors, including whether he would get a meeting with Mr. Trump, something he called 'very important.' It's unclear whether Mr. Trump still plans to travel to The Hague while the U.S. is involved in the war against Iran.
Calgary Herald
7 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Russia's deployment of nearly 700,000 troops signals long-term war plan, Ukraine warns
Russia shows no signs it plans to wind down its war in Ukraine, with an estimated 695,000 troops deployed across an expanded front line and another 121,000 in strategic reserve, according to Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Article content Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X and Telegram, said Kyiv 'has evidence' that Russia is 'preparing new military operations on European territory,' citing a report by Ukraine's defence intelligence chief but providing no additional detail. 'We will keep our partners informed.' Article content Article content Article content With Moscow's invasion of its neighbour well into its fourth year, the Russian military is able to mobilize an average of about 9,000 new troops per month, Syrskyi told reporters in Kyiv on Saturday. Bloomberg was unable to independently verify the figures. Article content Article content 'They are preparing for a protracted war, a war of attrition. This is their main strategy. They want to pressure us with their human resources, exhaust us with their mass,' Syrskyi said. Article content Syrskyi spoke a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine needed to recognize the 'realities on the ground,' a reference to territory in eastern and southern Ukraine occupied by his forces. Article content Ukraine and its Western partners have been trying to push Russia toward a ceasefire since March. While U.S. President Donald Trump threatened earlier he could consider more sanctions if Moscow rejected a ceasefire, the U.S. leader frustrated allies by dismissing pressure to impose tougher penalties at last week's G7 summit in Canada. Article content Ukraine will continue deep strikes inside Russian territory, expanding their depth and scale, Syrskyi said. Such attacks — often aimed at targets hundreds of kilometres from the front lines — are Kyiv's most efficient way to inflict military damage on Russia, he added. Article content Syrskyi floated the possibility of new counteroffensives but provided no concrete details. Merely defending doesn't bring anything except slowly losing ground and manpower, he said. Article content 'Of course, we will not simply remain on the full defensive,' Syrskyi said. Article content In Sunday's post, Zelenskyy said a report by intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov outlined Russia's 'key vulnerabilities,' adding that Ukraine 'will strike accordingly' to 'reduce Russia's capacity for aggression.' Article content Доповідь міністра внутрішніх справ України Ігоря Клименка. Перше: дії підрозділів Національної гвардії України на фронті та конкретно застосування дронів у боях на передовій. Друге: протидія злочинним угрупованням, пов'язаним з російськими мафіозними осередками й так званими… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 22, 2025 Article content Zelenskyy on Thursday named Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces as the nation prepares to combat Russia's latest push. Addressing troop shortages is expected to be a priority. Article content Syrskyi said that as of mid-June, the front lines in the nation's east and southeast stretch about 1,200 kilometres (750 miles), an increase of about 200 in the past year. In the last day alone, Ukraine's ground troops repelled some 171 clashes. Article content Even as Kremlin forces look to establish a buffer zone within Ukrainian territory in the Sumy region, Kyiv's troops are maintaining a foothold in Kursk, he said, following a cross-border offensive last summer. Article content 'Ukraine controls 90 square kilometres (35 square miles) of the Glushkovskyi district' of Kursk oblast, Syrskyi said. 'These are our preemptive actions in response to a possible Russian offensive.'
Vancouver Sun
7 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Russia's deployment of nearly 700,000 troops signals long-term war plan, Ukraine warns
Russia shows no signs it plans to wind down its war in Ukraine, with an estimated 695,000 troops deployed across an expanded front line and another 121,000 in strategic reserve, according to Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X and Telegram, said Kyiv 'has evidence' that Russia is 'preparing new military operations on European territory,' citing a report by Ukraine's defence intelligence chief but providing no additional detail. 'We will keep our partners informed.' With Moscow's invasion of its neighbour well into its fourth year, the Russian military is able to mobilize an average of about 9,000 new troops per month, Syrskyi told reporters in Kyiv on Saturday. Bloomberg was unable to independently verify the figures. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'They are preparing for a protracted war, a war of attrition. This is their main strategy. They want to pressure us with their human resources, exhaust us with their mass,' Syrskyi said. Syrskyi spoke a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine needed to recognize the 'realities on the ground,' a reference to territory in eastern and southern Ukraine occupied by his forces. Ukraine and its Western partners have been trying to push Russia toward a ceasefire since March. While U.S. President Donald Trump threatened earlier he could consider more sanctions if Moscow rejected a ceasefire, the U.S. leader frustrated allies by dismissing pressure to impose tougher penalties at last week's G7 summit in Canada. Ukraine will continue deep strikes inside Russian territory, expanding their depth and scale, Syrskyi said. Such attacks — often aimed at targets hundreds of kilometres from the front lines — are Kyiv's most efficient way to inflict military damage on Russia, he added. Syrskyi floated the possibility of new counteroffensives but provided no concrete details. Merely defending doesn't bring anything except slowly losing ground and manpower, he said. 'Of course, we will not simply remain on the full defensive,' Syrskyi said. In Sunday's post, Zelenskyy said a report by intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov outlined Russia's 'key vulnerabilities,' adding that Ukraine 'will strike accordingly' to 'reduce Russia's capacity for aggression.' Доповідь міністра внутрішніх справ України Ігоря Клименка. Перше: дії підрозділів Національної гвардії України на фронті та конкретно застосування дронів у боях на передовій. Друге: протидія злочинним угрупованням, пов'язаним з російськими мафіозними осередками й так званими… Zelenskyy on Thursday named Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov as the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces as the nation prepares to combat Russia's latest push. Addressing troop shortages is expected to be a priority. Syrskyi said that as of mid-June, the front lines in the nation's east and southeast stretch about 1,200 kilometres (750 miles), an increase of about 200 in the past year. In the last day alone, Ukraine's ground troops repelled some 171 clashes. Even as Kremlin forces look to establish a buffer zone within Ukrainian territory in the Sumy region, Kyiv's troops are maintaining a foothold in Kursk, he said, following a cross-border offensive last summer. 'Ukraine controls 90 square kilometres (35 square miles) of the Glushkovskyi district' of Kursk oblast, Syrskyi said. 'These are our preemptive actions in response to a possible Russian offensive.' Syrskyi defended Ukraine's operation in Kursk region, saying it allowed Kyiv's troops to bind Russian forces there. Several Russian units rotated in April into Ukraine's east and southeast, where Kremlin troops have been slowly gaining ground, were forced to redeploy to the Kursk and Sumy regions. Separately, Ukraine's forces have managed to stabilize Russia's attempted advance in the Sumy region, where it has about 50,000 troops, including regaining control of a handful of settlements in recent days, Syrskyi said. Putin on Friday said Moscow's offensive in the region was aimed at creating a 'buffer zone' beyond the border of some 10 to 12 kilometres wide. Russia doesn't have the objective of taking Sumy — including the city with a pre-war population of about 250,000 — 'but we do not rule it out,' he said. 'We have a saying, or parable — wherever the Russian soldier treads is ours.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
