Putin Admits 700,000 Troops in Ukraine as Russia Expands Military to 2.4 Million.

Conflict in Ukraine

According to UATV: Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that over 700,000 of his country's soldiers are currently deployed in Ukraine. On June 12, he signed a decree to boost the total size of the Russian armed forces to 2.4 million personnel. This order raises the number of active-duty troops by 7,400. However, despite this substantial increase in manpower, no significant territorial gains have been achieved on the battlefield.

Casualties and Analysis

According to available data, the Russian force in Ukraine numbered 550,000 troops as of March this year. Since then, the Russian army has suffered heavy losses—approximately 35,000 personnel per month, with 75% of those being irreversible (i.e., killed or permanently incapacitated). Russia's capacity to replenish its ranks is limited to just 30,000 to 31,000 new soldiers each month. Total combat losses for Russian forces throughout the entire war now stand at 1,381,430 individuals.

Commenting on the situation, Dmytro Sniehyrov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, noted that the figure of 700,000 Russian troops had already been discussed six months ago.

“The front line at the end of May 2026 is in the same place as it was at the end of May 2025.” - Dmytro Sniehyrov

Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine's defense forces have eliminated 1,310 Russian invaders, indicating that active combat operations continue.

In short, despite Russia's major efforts to expand its army, tangible results on the ground remain elusive, while the toll on its troops keeps climbing.

The situation at the front shows that massive mobilization and troop replenishment efforts are not translating into the desired military outcomes. The rising losses—especially the irreversible ones—raise serious questions about Russia's ability to sustain such troop levels over the long term. Ukraine's ongoing offensive actions also suggest that the conflict is far from resolution, which could have severe implications for regional security.