45,000 Muscovites are taking part in combat operations in Ukraine, the mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin revealed this Wednesday, providing a rare estimate of the armed forces mobilized.
“Forty-five thousand Muscovites fighting in the area of \u200b\u200bspecial military operation”said Sobyanin, quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.
It should be noted that Russia and Ukraine rarely communicate about the total number of military personnel involved in the conflict or about the respective losses.
The mayor added that the Muscovite army represents “a significant part” of the fighters present, including “at least 5,000 professional soldiers”.
Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev said in August that Russia has recruited more than 230,000 people into its military since the beginning of the year.
Last September, President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial” military mobilization of 300,000 men to supply troops.
The announcement – Russia’s first mobilization since World War II – shocked the entire country as thousands of men were drafted into the army.
Moscow refused to announce a second mobilization campaign and opted for a massive public relations campaign, hoping to woo the Russians with financial incentives.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last year that the size of the Russian army would increase to 1.5 million as Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine.
Source: DN
