Mr. Zelensky revealed the size of the Ukrainian army

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian army now has 880,000 soldiers, about 300,000 more than the figures announced more than a month ago.

"We have 880,000 soldiers, an army of almost one million people," President Zelenksy revealed in an interview with Germany's ARD television channel on January 29. "Ukraine's current workforce is about 30 million people or more, but I don't know the exact number."

At his annual press conference held on December 14 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had deployed 617,000 military personnel to Ukraine, of which about 224,000 were stationed in territories controlled by Russian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers load mortar shells near Bakhmut, Donetsk on January 26. Photo: AFP — Ukrainian soldiers load mortar shells near Bakhmut, Donetsk on January 26. Photo: *AFP*

On December 12, 2023, Mr. Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian force had about 600,000 soldiers. Mr. Zelensky did not give a reason why the new figures differed significantly from the old statistics.

Kiev is said to be struggling to replenish its forces, as the conflict in the country is about to enter its third year with no end in sight, leaving many Ukrainians feeling frustrated and tired. The BBC reported that a large number of Ukrainian men have avoided military service by going abroad despite travel bans or by forging documents proving their ineligibility for military service.

This is in contrast to the early stages of the war, when thousands of Ukrainians eagerly volunteered to join the army to defend their homeland.

President Zelensky said on January 29 that he did not know exactly how many Ukrainians had left the country after the conflict broke out, possibly 6.5-7.5 million people. The president said that Ukrainians who had gone abroad should contribute to their homeland by paying taxes.

The Ukrainian government in December announced a new bill to mobilize more troops, including provisions such as increasing penalties for those who evade military service and lowering the age of conscription from 27 to 25. The Ukrainian parliament on January 11 returned the bill to the government for further study and revision, after facing criticism from some lawmakers and public opinion in the country.