🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed the size of Ukrainian ground forces fighting against Russia.
In a Telegram post congratulating his country's troops for Ground Forces Day which is marked on December 12, the Ukrainian president said that there were nearly 600,000 soldiers "of various branches of the military."
"Brave Heroic. Powerful," he wrote next to images of Ukrainian soldiers in various locations, by tanks and some carrying weapons.
Zelensky's figure differs from the estimate of 500,000 Ukrainian troops listed by data gathering and analysis platform Statista and it is the latest number revealed by one of Ukraine's officials about the size of its military.
In November, the former head of the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladislav Seleznev told Ukrainian outlet TSN that there are 1.3 million people in the Ukrainian Armed Forces who "all need weapons and ammunition."
Ukraine's Armed Forces consist of several branches, of which the Ground Forces are only one. The others include the Air Force, the Navy, the Air Assault Forces, the Marine Corps the Special Operations Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in September that Ukrainian Armed Forces has more than tripled since February 2022, from 261,000 to more than 800,000 people. In early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an increase of his military by 170,000 to a total of 1.32 million.
In the rest of his post, Zelensky paid tribute to Ukraine's soldiers. "Many will always be remembered by their comrades for their strength and help in battle. Our people are grateful to many for the liberation of our land, cities and villages, for the opportunity to be proud of the power of the Ukrainian army.
"Today we remember many when we honor Ukrainian heroes who gave their lives for the sake of our country and people," Zelensky wrote, "Glory to our defenders! Thank you to every soldier, every sergeant, every commander for the power you give to our state."
Zelensky's message was posted on the day he meets with political leaders in Washington, D.C, amid warnings from the White House that American aid for Ukraine could dry as talks over new assistance have stalled in Congress.
President Joe Biden has requested around $60 billion in new aid to Ukraine as part of a larger emergency package which also includes assistance for Israel.
On Monday, Zelensky met World Bank President Ajay Banga to discuss strengthening Ukraine's financial system. He also held talks with key allies as he continues to secure additional military support.
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council secretary, Oleksii Danilov, told the BBC that Ukraine's hopes for its counteroffensive launched in June were not fully realized but that did not mean that Kyiv would not win the war.
"In May, every citizen in our country wanted the war to end quickly," he said on Monday. "There were hopes, but they didn't come true." He added that his country "won't stop," and that it will continue "fighting for our freedom, for our independence."
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more