Russia is meeting up to 110 percent of its monthly military requirements, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi said in an interview with local news outlet Suspilne.
According to Skibitskyi, monthly recruitment aims to replace losses, with up to 35,000 personnel reportedly enlisted each month, allowing Moscow to fill about 67 percent of its planned 343,000 recruits for the year.
“About 25 percent of this number today are people who are in prison, under investigation, and against whom criminal cases have been initiated,” he stated.
He added that Russia’s operational reserves for rotations and reinforcements are mainly officer positions.
Foreign Support for Russian Troops
Foreign involvement continues to influence the conflict.
Skibitskyi reported that support from North Korean military personnel is ongoing, primarily in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, with an estimated 11,000 troops stationed at training grounds and in support roles.
He added that around 1,200 more are expected soon, as part of a total of 6,000 planned for engineering, demining, infrastructure, and medical tasks.
Kyiv’s intelligence official noted that Russian delegations regularly visit Pyongyang to assist with training, including ammunition and drone production.
Cooperating with Moscow, North Korean troops have gained practical experience in modern warfare, including the use of first-person view drones, combined with artillery and reconnaissance tactics, enhancing their operational knowledge.
However, other nations are involved.
“The Russians are recruiting citizens of many countries, 138, according to our calculations. Most of them are from post-Soviet republics. Unfortunately, including Ukraine, from our temporarily occupied territories,” added Skibitskyi.
