Valery Zlozhny, head of Ukraine’s armed forces, believes Putin is building a new 200,000-strong army somewhere deep inside Russia. The new army is planned to attack Kyiv once again, perhaps this January. with 300 tanks, 600 armored vehicles and 500 howitzer missiles
Russia is building a new 200,000-strong army for a second assault on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv that could begin in a few weeks, Ukraine’s top general has warned. Valery Zlozhny, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, believes that Vladimir Putin is turning his new recruits into a new army somewhere deep inside Russia, which he will send on new attacks on Ukraine.
When Putin first invaded Ukraine in February, he did so with a force of about 175,000 men. If General Zalozny is right, an even bigger army is already on the way. “Russia is preparing new resources, 100 percent,” he told The Economist. “We have to prepare for the new war that may start in February, in the best case in March, and in the worst case at the end of January.”
“It may not start in the Donbass, but in the direction of Kyiv, from Belarus, I don’t rule out the southern direction of Crimea as well, the Russians are preparing about 200,000 fresh soldiers. I have no doubt that they will make another attempt in Kiev.”
He emphasized that while Russia’s new army will be similar in size to the one that took effect in February, it will not be of the same quality. Most of its best equipment and ammunition have been used up, and most of its most skilled soldiers and commanders have been killed. Sadly, General Zaluzheny said, there is no sign that Moscow is ready to give up its mission to take over his country, and he believes the Russians will continue to fight until their resources are exhausted.