Putin deploying 300,000 new troops: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russia could send at least 300,000 new troops into the war by the end of this year to fully seize control of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. 

In an interview with CNN, he said that even though a large number of Russian soldiers have died in the war, by the end of the year they will be able to control the same amount of territory in Ukraine as before.

Zelensky claims that since the beginning of this year, about 267,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, of which at least 155,000 have died. The Russian parliamentary elections are coming up, and after that, the new troop buildup may begin. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his generals to capture all of Donetsk by this year, and the new 300,000 troops will be used for that purpose. However, he said that Ukrainian forces are ready to repel the attack.

In addition, expressing concern about the crisis in the air defense system, Zelensky said that Ukraine is receiving much fewer missiles this year compared to previous years. If the United States gives Ukraine at least 10 percent of the missiles it has, Kiev is willing to buy them. At the same time, they are increasing their ability to launch attacks inside Russia by developing drones and missiles with their own technology. On the other hand, despite constant discussions with the United States on various ways to stop the war, no final agreement has yet been reached.

Source: CNN.