The deputy head of the Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitskyy, said that as of today, the ground force of the enemy group located on the territory of Ukraine is about 470,000 soldiers, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
"If we talk about what has changed over this time, it is the size of the group deployed on our territory. Currently, the ground component, the ground part of the group located on the territory of Ukraine, is about 470,000 soldiers. And this is only the ground component, I do not include aviation and the navy, which are also involved in operations, in strikes," said Skibitskyy.
In addition, Russia has created a new component of troops out of the Russian Guard, numbering almost 33,000 servicemen, in the occupied territories.
"These are the people who ensure the activities of the occupying authorities, the protection of strategic facilities and, if necessary, can perform defence tasks in the temporarily occupied territories," he said.
At the same time, an additional group of about 30,000 troops has appeared in three regions of Russia that directly border Ukraine: Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk.