Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that the Russian army plans to increase its contingent in Ukraine to 800,000 troops by the end of 2026. The Commander-in-Chief stated this following a meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Netherlands Armed Forces, General Onno Eichelsheim, as reported by UNN.
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According to the Commander-in-Chief, Ukraine has no choice but to continue fighting and destroying the enemy.
I had a meaningful meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Netherlands Armed Forces, General Onno Eichelsheim. On behalf of General Eichelsheim, I expressed sincere gratitude to the army, government, and people of the Netherlands for their consistent support of Ukraine in confronting the Russian aggressor.
He noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, the Dutch government has already allocated 20.8 billion euros to strengthen Ukraine. The Netherlands' contribution of 750 million euros to the PURL initiative for the purchase of American weapons is particularly important.
Syrskyi expressed gratitude for the Netherlands' leadership role in the Fighter Coalition, particularly for the transfer of F-16 aircraft. Now, the focus is on the readiness of Dutch partners to provide Ukraine with simulators for these fighters.
He also reported that despite significant losses of personnel and equipment, the Russian aggressor does not abandon its offensive actions.
By the end of the year, the Kremlin plans to recruit another 400,000 contract soldiers to increase its contingent in Ukraine to 800,000 servicemen.
He also informed about the priority needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion. This primarily concerns air defense systems and various types of missile weapons.