Zelenskyy: Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian troops by up to eight to one in some frontline areas

Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian troops by as much as eight to one in some sectors of the frontline, but Ukraine continues to achieve key battlefield objectives despite the numerical disadvantage, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Speaking in his regular evening address, Zelenskyy acknowledged the scale of Russia’s manpower advantage in certain areas while highlighting the performance of Ukrainian forces.

“Even though the Russians outnumber us by a factor of six to eight in some areas of the front, we are still achieving the results Ukraine needs,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president also paid special tribute to several military units for their contribution to ongoing operations against Russian forces.

Among those singled out were the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of Ukraine’s National Guard, the 1st Presidential Brigade “Bureviy”, the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 413th “Raid” Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, the 104th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade and the “Phoenix” unit of Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.

“Thank you and everyone who fights for Ukraine as they would for themselves,” Zelenskyy said.

The president did not specify which sectors of the frontline were experiencing the most significant Russian numerical superiority or provide further details about the battlefield results he referenced.

His remarks come as Ukrainian forces continue to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, with manpower and battlefield resources remaining central challenges in the conflict.