Russia has already involved about 160,000 troops in war in Ukraine, plans another 90,000

"Russia is increasing its mobilization reserves and plans to mobilize about 90,000 military personnel. At the same time, they use different approaches: so-called volunteer battalions, and reserve battalions, battalions of the so-called ‘Combat Army Reserve of Country’ which they are currently recruiting in each military district to compensate for losses, build up their efforts, and increase the grouping that can be used against our country," Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said during the nationwide telethon.

According to him, Russia has already involved about 160,000 military personnel in the war against Ukraine

"If we talk in general about the land and air components fighting against our country, it is about 160,000 military personnel. I do not take into account the Russian Guard, which also participates in hostilities, ensures the occupation regime in the temporarily occupied territories," Skibitskyi added.

According to him, now Russia has significant problems in staffing the armed forces. If they can still supply equipment, they do have problems with personnel, particularly, due to the fact that panic is spreading, and information about the killed and wounded is spreading.

"Time passes, they haven't achieved a blitzkrieg. Will this [Putin's decree on additional staffing] help? Probably, it won’t," said a representative of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence.

He justified his opinion by the fact that there are fewer people willing to sign a military service contract in Russia.

"There is a panic among the population of big cities because no one wants to go and serve in the armed forces, let alone go to war," said Skibitskyi.

As reported, covert mobilization is intensifying in Moscow and Leningrad regions of the Russian Federation. According to intelligence data, "the exhaustion of the mobilization potential of the main ‘donors’ of the war against Ukraine – Buryatia, Tuva, the republics of the Caucasus and other disadvantaged regions – forces the Kremlin to intensify efforts in the "central regions".

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