Nearly 700,000 Russian Troops Deployed in Ukrainian territory : Ukraine Intelligence

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (GUR) has revealed that around 700,000 Russian service members are currently deployed across Ukrainian territory — a sharp increase from the 600,000 reported earlier this year.

Deployment and Strategic Priorities

GUR spokesperson Andrii Yusov confirmed that the figure includes frontline soldiers, National Guard troops, special forces, and support personnel. The majority of these forces are positioned in Donetsk Oblast, signaling the region’s central importance to Moscow’s war strategy.

Russia Sustains Losses but Replenishes Forces

Despite suffering over one million casualties since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has maintained its frontline strength by recruiting large numbers of contract soldiers. This steady stream of reinforcements enables Moscow to keep pressing Ukrainian defenses, while Kyiv struggles with mounting manpower shortages.

North Korea’s Expanding Role

Russia’s war effort has been significantly boosted by North Korean support. An initial deployment of 11,000 to 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk region took heavy losses — about 2,000 killed or wounded — while resisting a Ukrainian incursion. Yusov clarified that North Korean forces remain on Russian soil and have not entered Ukraine directly.

Even more critical has been Pyongyang’s vast supply of weapons and ammunition. Ukrainian intelligence reports that 40–60% of the artillery shells fired by Russian forces are now North Korean-made. In addition to millions of shells, North Korea has delivered rocket systems and short-range ballistic missiles, dramatically increasing Russia’s firepower. Without this supply, analysts believe Russia’s strike capacity would be far weaker.

Overwhelming Numbers on the Front

Ukrainian commanders warn that the scale of Russia’s troop buildup is creating enormous pressure. Viktor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s “Dnipro” operational-strategic grouping, said that in some occupied areas, the number of Russian troops even exceeds the size of the local prewar populations.

“It seems like they’ve gathered such a horde to take on an average European country,” Tregubov noted.

Strategic Implications

The updated intelligence underscores several key dynamics of the war:

• Russia’s ability to sustain frontline strength despite catastrophic losses.

• A deliberate focus on Donetsk Oblast as a primary battlefield.

• North Korea’s role as a vital lifeline for Russia’s artillery and missile capabilities.

• Ukraine’s growing challenge in confronting both a numerically superior enemy and its reliance on foreign supplies.