NATO says how many men Ukraine needs to mobilise to win war - The Times

According to military intelligence and independent observers, the Ukrainian army is quantitatively inferior to Russian troops and needs significantly more infantry and weapons if it expects to win the war. This was reported by The Sunday Times.

Experts note that in most parts of the front line, including the areas of Liman and Seversk, the Ukrainian army is inferior in terms of numbers and weapons, while Russian troops continue to advance towards Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. The Kremlin, analysts say, is willing to trade large numbers of infantry as part of a "meat grinder" strategy for the advance, relying on significant reserves and financial incentives for conscripts, including bonuses, tax breaks and debt forgiveness.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that the Starlink shutdown temporarily weakened Russian drones, allowing Ukraine to regain up to 200 square kilometres of territory in the eastern Zaporizhzhya region. However, the lack of manpower remains a critical issue, with AFU officers saying there are not enough drone pilots and infantry to cover them.

Philip Breedlove, the former supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, said that Russia could turn to North Korea for auxiliary forces, while the key for Kiev remains getting an additional 250,000 soldiers and powerful weapons.

For his part, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the immediate deployment of non-combat troops, while a "coalition of the willing" has already agreed on the arrival of about 7,000 soldiers in Ukraine to secure a potential ceasefire. Experts emphasise: Ukraine has proven capable of effectively using precision strike capabilities against Russia, but without a large-scale reinforcement of personnel and weapons, a breakthrough on the front is unlikely.