Zelensky calls for increase in “eliminations” as he reveals how many soldiers, Russia is mobilizing

Russia is adding tens of thousands of troops each month, even as casualties continue to rise.

New figures and intelligence claims point to a prolonged and costly conflict with no immediate breakthrough in sight.

Mounting pressure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is mobilizing between 40,000 and 45,000 people every month, according to remarks reported by the New York Post and shared on X on March 17.

He said Ukraine’s goal is to offset that influx by inflicting comparable losses on Russian forces to prevent further expansion.

“Russia mobilizes 40–45 thousand people every month. We must eliminate roughly the same number of troops so that the Russian army doesn’t grow in size. Eliminate them simply so that Russia cannot expand its aggression,” Zelenskyy said.

The strategy, he added, is aimed at limiting Moscow’s ability to sustain offensive operations.

Article continues below.

Heavy losses

Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian forces have inflicted significant casualties in recent months, pointing to sustained fighting along the front lines.

“Over the past three months, we eliminated 30, 35, and 28 thousand Russian soldiers respectively. That is almost 100 thousand people. Just imagine how much Russia is sacrificing for this war,” he said.

Separately, Ukrainian intelligence claims Russia’s irreversible losses have exceeded 1.3 million personnel, based on classified documents cited by Kyiv.

According to the report, the share of fatalities has increased, with 62% of losses recorded as deaths and 38% as injuries.

Long road ahead

The intelligence update was presented to Zelenskyy on March 10 by military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko, according to Ukrainian officials.

Despite the scale of mobilization, Kyiv assesses that Russia’s ability to achieve its objectives remains constrained.

Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said Russia could need up to 18 months to fully capture the Donbas region.

He added that such a campaign would likely come at the cost of losing all currently deployed forces in occupied territories.

Goal: 50,000 eliminations per month

In mid-January 2026, Zelenskyy appointed a news Defence Minister of Ukraine, the 35-year old Mykhailo Fedorov, and he stepped into the role with huge ambitions for the Ukrainian military.

During his first briefing as Defence Minister, he said that Ukraine should increase the Russian casualties inflicted from the 35,000 at the time to 50,000 per month during 2026, CNN reported at the time.

Sources: New York Post, statements by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Presidential Office, CNN

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation