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Budanov: Approximately 326,000 Russian soldiers currently fight in Ukraine

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Chief of Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with the Washington Post that approximately 326,000 Russian soldiers are currently fighting in Ukraine.

According to Budanov, only 9% of Russia’s stock of long-range Kalibr missiles remains. Those numbers can't be independently verified.

Regarding fears that Russia might launch a nuclear strike if Ukraine was to liberate Crimea, Budanov dismissed it as a scare tactic – “Russia is a country that you can expect a lot from but not outright idiocy. Carrying out a nuclear strike will result in not just a military defeat for Russia but the collapse of Russia. And they know this very well.”

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The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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