The size of Russia’s ground army fighting against Ukraine is approximately 620,000 troops, with additional support units in the rear.
This was stated by Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"If we are talking about the ground component, it is about 620,000, with over 200,000 being assault units actively engaged in combat on the front lines," he said.
Additionally, Skibitskyi noted that there are around 35,000 Russian National Guard troops ensuring occupation control, guarding key infrastructure in temporarily occupied territories. According to their plans, they could also be deployed as a second line of defense if needed.
Furthermore, other forces must be considered, including logistics units, Black Sea Fleet personnel, and aviation units that are not directly based in combat zones but participate in airstrikes, Skibitskyi added.
"The aggressor currently uses more than 20 airfields and air bases in Russia to carry out both bomb and missile strikes on our territory," explained the Deputy Chief of Main Intelligence Directorate.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, stated that Russia’s army is losing more troops on the battlefield than it recruits under contract.
According to him, at least 427,000 troops were recruited into the Russian army under contract in 2024.
"This means that every month, the Russian army was replenished with about 36,000 troops. However, in the last quarter of 2024 and January 2025, the aggressor was losing more than 40,000 soldiers per month on the battlefield in Ukraine," he said.
At the same time, Havryliuk noted that Putin is increasingly recruiting prisoners, residents of temporarily occupied territories, North Korean soldiers, and mercenaries from various countries into his army.
