Reserve major Hetman on number of Russian soldiers currently on frontlines

He shared this information during an interview on Espreso.

"Currently, there are almost half a million Russian military personnel. It’s  450,000 soldiers involved in the war in Ukraine. This includes 30,000 Russian Guards and units from the so-called DPR and LPR, which are also participating in the war. This is three times more than when the full-scale invasion began. In the Kupyansk area alone, there are about 150,000 enemy forces. These are not new recruits but experienced soldiers who know how to fight. It's a challenging task for our Defense Forces to maintain their positions in the Kupyansk area and launch counteroffensive operations," Hetman emphasized.

He also mentioned that in the Bakhmut region, the enemy is attempting to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of their occupied positions.

• A senior lieutenant in the Ukrainian Armed Forces Leonid Polyakov pointed out that the Russians have sent new special forces units to the Bakhmut area, which are intended for deep rear operations.
• Ivan Shevtsov, a lieutenant colonel in the State Border Service of Ukraine, noted that the Defense Forces successfully repelled all enemy assaults in the Kupyansk area, forcing the enemy to retreat.
• Over the past day, there were 78 combat encounters at the front, and the enemy is continuing to shell civilian targets and populated areas in Ukraine.