Putin reveals number of troops engaged in Ukraine conflict
Nearly half of Moscow’s active-duty personnel are currently engaged in the conflict with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
The president made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with leaders of parliamentary groups. He revealed the figure while discussing the ‘Time of Heroes’ program, which aims to train veterans for public service.
“More than 700,000 troops are stationed along the line of contact, so we have to select from among them. We need to choose those who are willing and suited to this line of work,” Putin said.
Moscow rarely provides updates on the exact number of troops involved in the conflict. The previous estimate came from Putin in January 2024, when he said about 600,000 soldiers were in the combat zone.
Russia increased the size of its standing army last September to nearly 2.4 million, including 1.5 million active-duty personnel. It remains unclear to what extent the nominal ranks are currently filled.
Ukraine had around 900,000 active-duty personnel as of early this year, according to Vladimir Zelensky.
Kiev has struggled to replenish its forces as the Russian army has steadily gained ground in Donbass and eastern Ukraine.
In spring 2025, Russia fully expelled Ukrainian soldiers from the Kursk region, which they had invaded in August 2024.
