Russia’s Army Is Growing, Warns Ukraine’s Top Commander
Despite its heavy losses, Russia has not only replenished casualties but also increased the total number of troops fighting against Ukraine.
How many Russian soldiers are fighting against Ukraine? The Russian forces have lost nearly one million men over three years of war, but the fighting shows no sign of stopping.
In an interview with the Ukrainian news outlet LB UA, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi provided a handful of interesting insights on the course of the fighting. His remarks on the number of Russian troops committed to the fighting are of particular note—as is his assessment of the status of the ongoing fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces suffered a major setback in March but are continuing to fight.
Russia’s Force Generation Remains Unmatched
Despite the heavy losses that the Russian forces are taking in Ukraine, the Russian military continues to bolster its numbers in the country. According to Syrskyi’s estimate, Russian forces fighting against Ukraine numbered approximately 623,000 men—up approximately 40,000 men since November 2024. These assessments about the number of Russian forces actively engaged in the war against Ukraine align with those of U.S. military officers.
The Ukrainian general stated that the Kremlin deploys about 8,000 to 9,000 additional troops every month to Ukraine, following their recruitment inside Russia. According to Syrskyi, the main reason behind Moscow’s successful force generation is financial incentives, rather than conscription. Although Russia continues to conscript young men for service, these conscripts are generally not sent to battle in Ukraine.
Russia’s force generation is even more impressive given the fact that Moscow lost over 400,000 troops in the fighting last year. And in 2025 thus far, the Russian military, paramilitary groups, and pro-Russian separatist forces have lost over 100,000 men killed or wounded. Yet despite such heavy losses, Russia has not just replenished casualties but also increased the total number of troops fighting against Ukraine.
Syrskyi’s Update on the Fighting in Kursk
As far as the Ukrainian salient in the Kursk Oblast, the two sides appear to be frozen in place for the time being, with repeated Russian offensives failing to make progress. The Ukrainian military has controlled a sizable chunk of Russian territory since launching a surprise foray into Russia in August 2024. The Kremlin has dedicated significant resources to pushing back the Ukrainians and reclaiming the lost territory. Moscow even deployed thousands of North Korean troops, courtesy of Pyongyang, against the salient. Although the Russian forces have made progress—notably recapturing the town of Sudzha, the largest population center in the region, in March—they still lack the necessary punch to completely break the Ukrainian lines.
“Russian forces continue to marginally advance in the Sumy-Kursk Oblast border area, but the Russian force grouping in the area will likely be unable to launch a major offensive operation against Sumy City in the near term without receiving significant reinforcements,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in a recent operational estimate on the course of the conflict.
The Ukrainian military’s foray into Russia was a risk. With limited resources available, Kyiv decided to commit a large portion of its best mechanized units to attacking Russia. No one in Kyiv believed that the operation would result in permanent control of Russian territory, but instead would distract the Russian military at a place and time of Kyiv’s choosing—and force Moscow to draw its forces from the line of contact inside Ukraine in order to confront the new threat.
In that respect, the Ukrainian offensive was successful; the Russian military has committed tens of thousands of troops in Kursk. But the Ukrainian military has achieved little else by invading Russia—and the invasion has come at a substantial cost to its own manpower and equipment.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.