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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