Russia set to boost troop numbers in Ukraine to 750,000 — military expert Zgurets

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"Conscription in Russia occurs twice a year. Currently, it is the largest in terms of numbers compared to last year. The current norms of Russian legislation do not allow conscripts to participate in combat operations. However, it is important to consider the situation from another perspective.

In parallel with the start of conscription, those soldiers who have completed their military service are discharged from the army. This is a crucial moment for Russia, as the military leadership is trying to contract as many conscripts as possible for longer service terms to compensate for the losses of the Russian army. This is one component of replenishing Russia's military forces.

The second component is paid contracts, which remain an important factor in replenishing the Russian army. This year, Russia plans to recruit around 340,000 individuals on a contract basis. However, this number could be higher, as last year, the goal was to recruit 370,000, but in reality, 440,000 were recruited through contracts.

The third component is individuals with criminal records. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), while last year such individuals made up 15% of all new recruits, this year, the Russian army plans to recruit around 30% of people with criminal pasts, as signing a contract with the military halts all legal proceedings," explained Zgurets.

The Director of the information and consulting company Defense Express also added that these three factors—paid mobilization, recruitment of individuals with criminal records, and the reorganization of former conscripts—are the main ways Russia is currently using to replenish its army and increase its numbers to compensate for significant losses on the battlefield.

"Russia's losses are currently quite serious and do not allow the plans that Russia had developed over a long period of time to be implemented. In particular, this concerns increasing the size of the Russian group in Ukraine to 750,000. Currently, this figure stands at 600-620,000, including troops in the Kursk region. These numbers have remained fairly stable for a long time," Zgurets concluded.

• Over the past day, 156 combat engagements were recorded on the Russia-Ukraine front. In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 57 attacks.