The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry (HUR) has said that Russia is likely to commit a ground force of 462,000 soldiers to Ukraine.
The HUR has said that Russia is now lacking the capacity to fight a ground war elsewhere, because “simply put” Vladimir Putin does not have anyone “to fight.”
Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of the HUR, told Ukrainska Pravda that Putin does not have any capability to launch a land offensive on any other nation as Moscow did on 24 February 2022 when they invaded Ukraine.
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The Kyiv Post reported that Skibitskyi said, “Our forecast, our assessment is very simple – today the Russian Federation does not have the capabilities to conduct strategic land offensive operations against other countries.
“Because the entire resource of the land component is now targeted and located on our territory.”
The Deputy intelligence chief said he cannot rule out Putin launching airstrikes on other countries, but he believes the chances of this happening are slim.
He added, “Regarding the possibility of individual strikes by long-range aviation, strategic aviation is another matter.
“But right now, there is a challenge, but there is no direct threat that a war will start tomorrow in the Baltic countries.
“There is no one to fight, simply put.”
Skibitskyi said that they estimate there is 462,000 Russian Ground Forces in Ukraine, and an additional 35,000 troops in the occupied territories.
He added, “There were moments when the staffing of those units dropped to 89-90% but due to continued mobilization, they manage to maintain this grouping at exactly this level, 92-95%.”
