Russia plans to recruit another 409,000 soldiers in 2026, Syrskyi says. Ukraine strikes a military plant in Crimea that repairs air defense systems. Ukraine’s defense intelligence mops up a town in Zaporizhzhia direction, takes Russians prisoner.
Russia plans to recruit another 409,000 soldiers in 2026, Syrskyi says
Russia plans to recruit another 409,000 soldiers in 2026, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a post to social media on Thursday.
“It means one thing — the enemy does not give up its intentions and continues to prepare for further aggression against Ukraine. With the weather conditions improving, we see the adversary increase activity across the frontlines,” Syrskyi said.
The message also sums up a meeting on engineering solutions for the defensive lines, in which key tasks included increasing fortifications, improving counter-drone protection and preparing the cities for defense.
Syrskyi said he had heard reports of the military commanders, senior leadership of the State Special Transportation Service and heads of regional military administrations. The meeting offered solutions and deadlines to address existing problems. Robustness of defenses and the lives of Ukrainian service members depend on the quality and speed of this work, he added.
There were 235 combat engagements in the past day, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a morning update on Thursday. Most of them took place in the Pokrovsk direction, where Russian forces made 54 assaults.
In the past day, 1,520 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded. Russia lost four armored fighting vehicles, 32 artillery systems, three multiple launch rocket systems, 1,391 drones of the operational-tactical level, 155 vehicles and one piece of special equipment, the General Staff said.
Ukraine strikes military plant in Crimea that repairs air defense systems
Ukraine struck an innovation center of the Granit plant in Sevastopol that repairs and services Russia’s air defense systems, the Ukrainian Navy said in a post to social media Thursday. The operation was carried out by Ukraine’s Navy, Special Operations Forces and Unmanned Systems Forces overnight into Thursday.
The facility is part of the Almaz-Antey group. It repairs the S-400 Triumph and S-300PMU-2 (Favorit) air defense missile systems, 92N6E and 96L6E radar systems, Buk-M2/M3 and Tor-M2 mid- and short-range missile systems.
Footage released by the Ukrainian Navy shows the moments drones struck the Granit’s buildings on the Fiolent Highway.
Ukraine’s General Staff also reported of strike operations against Russian troop concentrations near the Striletska Bay in Sevastopol. The losses are being clarified, it added.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence mops up a town in Zaporizhzhia direction, takes Russians prisoner
A unit of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry mopped up an unnamed town in Zaporizhzhia region, the agency said on social media on Thursday.
The Khymera unit of Tymur’s special unit of Ukraine’s military intelligence that conducted the operation said Russian infantry groups consolidated their positions in apartment buildings. Ukrainian troops forced them out, took out the infantry in a close fight and took prisoner “those who were lucky to survive,” the message said. They also mopped up the buildings.
Russian soldiers taken prisoner will be later exchanged for Ukrainian troops, the message reads.