Zelenskyy hails country's forces, claims 700,000 troops currently battling against Russia

Amid the ongoing devastating war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy held his armed forces and said that an army of 700,000 is currently fighting to defend the country's sovereignty. Speaking at the third anniversary of the establishment of the National Information Marathon "UA Together," the Zelenskyy stated that Russia used almost everything to attack Ukraine. He said that Russia even used reserves, silent mobilization, and concentrated many soldiers in Crimea as well as Belarus. 

Hailing the resilience of his troops, President Zelenskyy further stated that he doesn't think any European country would be able to cope with such a large force. "Analysts stressed that if there is a full-scale invasion, Ukraine will not be ready and the Russians will be able to capture everything within 2-3 days. It is clear that we are 28 times smaller in the territory, we cannot concentrate forces, for example, around Kyiv, because we need to stretch air defence, tanks and other equipment throughout the territory," he added, as per Ukrinform. Zelenskyy further claimed that Russia has already fired more than  2,000 missiles on Ukraine since the onset of the war. 

Russia lost over 28,000 troops since onset of war: Ukraine

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that Russia has also incurred heavy losses since the onset of the war. In its latest update, the ministry claimed that Russia has lost nearly 28,850 soldiers, 3,116 Armored Personnel Vehicles (APV), 1,278 tanks, 596 artillery systems, 201 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and at least 93 anti-aircraft warfare. In addition, the invaders also lost as many as 2,178 vehicles and fuel tanks, 462 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), 204 aircraft, 169 helicopters, 104 cruise missiles, 43 special equipment and 13 boats, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated on Twitter. 

Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine stalled

It is pertinent to mention here that the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate unabated and is about to enter its third month. The officials of Russia and Ukraine have stated that the peace negotiations between both countries have stalled. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov claimed that Western countries seek to exploit Ukraine for their strategic benefit. He also contended that no peace accord can be reached if negotiators focus on the West's concerns rather than the current situation in Ukraine.