Russia to Station 690,000 Troops in Ukraine by End of 2024, Surpassing Numbers of All European Armies

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi gave a major interview to The Guardian. In it, he discussed the increasing number of Russian troops present in Ukraine. According to him, the Russian grouping currently exceeds 520,000 soldiers. By the end of the year, according to Syrskyi, the number of Russian soldiers in Ukraine will increase by 30%, reaching 690,000. Russia is concentrating troops on all fronts, as infantry assaults are currently the most common method of warfare among Russian generals.

Having failed to achieve their plans — capturing Kyiv in three days — Russia is gradually increasing its troop numbers in Ukraine. Initially, the full-scale invasion began with approximately 160,000-200,000 soldiers, according to various sources. The grouping then grew to nearly 330,000, then to 370,000, and by the end of October, about 400,000 Russian soldiers were in Ukraine. Over the next six months, this number increased by at least 100,000 more.

Russia is constantly recruiting people and is willing to pay for it. If the first wave of mobilization offered a reward of about $2,000-3,000 (200,000 rubles) for joining the army, today in Moscow, volunteers are being offered ten times that amount — $20,000 (2 million rubles). Rewards in the regions are smaller but still amount to thousands of dollars, which is a significant sum for cities where the average salary can be $200-$500. This indicates problems with conscription, but with substantial financial resources, Russia is effectively "buying" soldiers instead. And continues to do so.

It is also worth clarifying that these figures represent only the grouping in Ukraine, not the entire Russian army. Overall, Russia's forces exceed 1.2 million and are set to increase to nearly 1.5 million.

To understand the threat, Russia has concentrated in Ukraine a force that could be among the top 10 largest armies in the world. Already, Russian troops in Ukraine are comparable in size to the armies of Pakistan, Iran, South Korea, and larger than the armies of Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and even Brazil.

Russian forces in Ukraine are larger than any European army. There are as many Rusian soldiers in Ukraine as there are in the combined armies of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The top ten largest armies in Europe today are approximately (excluding reserves):

Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already holding back an enemy with an army larger than any European country and most countries in the world. And it continues to grow.

As Syrskyi asserts, Russia has deployed over 3,000 tanks and around 9,000 artillery systems. No European country has so many. "The enemy has a significant advantage in force and resources," Syrskyi said. "Therefore, for us, the issue of supply, the issue of quality, is really at the forefront."

Ukraine is already producing nearly the largest number of self-propelled artillery units (SAUs) in Europe, delivering more than 12 Bohdan SAUs to the front each month. Denmark, to support the pace, has additionally ordered $184 million worth of these SAUs, all of which will be sent to the front in Ukraine.

Partner support is extremely important for Ukraine, as few have the strength to independently contain such an onslaught. And it must be remembered that by deploying such a large military machine, Russia will not stop.