Russian president, Putin, discusses the deployment of around 700,000 Russian troops in Ukraine.
In the final months of 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that approximately 700,000 troops were actively participating in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, an increase from the 617,000 reported in December of the same year. The Kremlin leader refrained from disclosing casualty figures, instead urging his military to press forward in Ukraine.
During a gathering with trainees, Putin detailed that these troops were engaged in the "military special operation zone." Russian forces were also reportedly making progress in the eastern region of Kharkiv, as Putin explained that they were forced to "push the front line further" to reduce terrorist attacks against towns like Belgorod. shelling of Ukrainian cities, especially those near the border, including Kharkiv, has been a consistent strategy employed by Russia since the onset of the conflict.
In the past several months, Russian forces launched a fresh offensive against Kharkiv, with military analysts suggesting the goal was to lengthen Ukrainian defense lines and force a breach. Despite advancing a few kilometers, Russia has yet to make substantial gains.
Putin indicated caution, stating that while a push into the Kharkiv region would not entirely halt Ukrainian shelling of Russian cities, it would help reduce the threat. However, he hinted at an escalation if the enemy's actions did not change, implying a further intensification of the offensive to protect Russian towns.
Russia initiated an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with Putin remaining silent on casualty figures. According to Ukrainian reports, over half a million Russian soldiers have been either killed or injured since the launch of the large-scale offensive. In comparison, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in February that around 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed over the first two years of the conflict. Ukraine currently faces a numerical disadvantage on the battlefield relative to Russia.
