Volodimir Zelensky evaluates mobilizing another 500,000 troops in war with Russia

The armed forces Ukrainians want to mobilize up to 500,000 more troops to fight the Russian invasion, but the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared on Tuesday that he has asked them to present their plans in detail about “an extremely sensitive topic” before deciding whether to accept their request.

A mobilization of that magnitude will cost Ukraine about US$13.4 billion, he said. Zelensky Other aspects to be considered include whether soldiers currently on the front lines will be rotated or relieved so they can go home after 22 months of war.

Statistics from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense indicate that the army had almost 800,000 troops in October. This does not include the National Guard or other units. In total, one million Ukrainians wear the uniform.

A few days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his country’s armed forces to increase its ranks by 170,000 troops for a total of 1.32 million.

The front between Russia and Ukraine, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) long, has barely moved this year after a Ukrainian counteroffensive ran into a tough Russian defense. Now that winter is approaching, troop movements are slowed down by bad weather, shifting priority to artillery, missiles and drones.

Putin declared Tuesday that Russian forces have taken the lead in Ukraine and are in a good position for next year.

Zelenskyy, in a year-end press conference, insisted that Russian forces have failed in their attempt to occupy more areas of Ukraine since their full invasion launched on February 24, 2022.

It was not possible to independently verify the battlefront assessments offered by the parties.

Zelensky stated that Ukraine has received more Patriot and NASAMS anti-aircraft systems, giving it medium- and long-range protection against Russian missile attacks, but did not provide further details. The systems will help Ukraine repel anticipated Russian attacks on its electrical infrastructure during the winter.