As Kremlin war chiefs scramble to mobilise nearly half a million troops by 2026, Ukrainian commanders have declared they will fight Russia to defend against brutal attacks.
Ukrainian soldiers with a Soviet-era T-72 tank in the Sumy region near Russia
Ukraine has vowed to step up attacks on Russia, as the Kremlin plans to mobilise more than 400,000 new troops for the front lines. It comes in the wake of Kiev’s wave of successful attacks on Russia over the weekend and continued successes in destroying Kremlin oil installations.
But Kremlin war chiefs have ordered the creation of 11 new divisions this year to stem the consequences of their bloody war on Ukraine. The total number of Russian troops to be mobilised in 2026 rises to 409,000, with the possibility of more reinforcements from North Korea.
But new attacks on Russian soil mean Kiev’s war planners will attack Russia on its home turf to divert vital troops from the front. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Sirsky said, “We understand that you cannot win a war by defence alone.
“That’s why we will launch an aggressive campaign and fight to retain the initiative. Of course they plan to increase their power.”
Commander Oleksandr Sirsky – War on Russia (Image: Chief Directorate of Communications)
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He intends to create at least 11 divisions and recruit approximately 409,000 personnel. He said Ukraine would continue strategic defensive operations as well as offensive operations to maintain the operational initiative.
Russia has suffered heavy losses in the past four-year war over Ukraine.
Russia has suffered heavy losses in the past four-year war over Ukraine, with more than a million soldiers killed and wounded. Ukraine has also succeeded in severely reducing Russia’s war chest provided by oil exports while impacting the ability of local authorities to warn citizens during the bitter winter season.
Coalition: Volodymyr Zelensky, UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron (Image: Getty Images) )
Amazingly, some battlefields have claimed the lives of up to 1,000 Russian soldiers a day as commanders demand full-frontal assaults that have become suicide missions. Thousands of North Korean soldiers have been killed, particularly in the Russian Kursk region, out of more than 10,000 sent by Pyongyang.
But frontline officials have also complained about defective weapons, explosives and ammunition sent by Pyongyang that have malfunctioned and do not work. Russia also lost 11,573 tanks, 36,333 artillery weapons, more than 23,000 armoured vehicles, 434 warplanes, 347 helicopters and 28 warships in the fighting.
Ukrainian special forces launched a sabotage campaign, seriously damaging several Kremlin submarines. And Syrsky argues that Russia is failing in its attempt to invade Ukraine, having made too little progress and capturing too small pieces of land.
He said last week: “We did not allow the enemy to achieve significant successes, disrupted his plans and repeatedly forced him to postpone the dates of planned operations.” During 2025, Russian commanders captured approximately 2,000 square miles of Ukrainian territory, deploying 600,000–700,000 combat troops into Ukraine, primarily using infantry-heavy short-range attack tactics.
That land area represents a little less than one per cent of Ukraine, which is slightly larger than the English county of Norfolk. This cost Moscow about five lakh soldiers.
He added, “This year proved we are able to systematically eliminate the enemy and significantly reduce his potential. The defence forces did not allow the aggressor to implement his plans, preserved strategic positions and prepared the ground for further operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
