Kremlin planning to create 20 new divisions, expand army to 1.5M troops - General Staff

The Kremlin is planning to create 20 new divisions and expand the Russian armed forces to 1.5 million troops in order to continue its aggression against Ukraine.

Brigadier General Oleksii Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Department of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said this at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"To implement their invasion plans, the Russian command has announced large-scale measures to reform the armed forces, in particular, increasing their total number to 1.5 million people and forming at least 20 new divisions. These plans testify to the Kremlin's plans to engage in a long-term confrontation and preparations for large-scale hostilities," Hromov said.

However, he noted that the Russian leadership would need considerable time, financial and economic resources to implement such plans.

As reported by Ukrinform, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Kyrylo Budanov, said that due to heavy losses at the front, the Russian leadership decided to launch a new wave of mobilization from January 5.

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