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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia after it launched an attack on the country overnight Wednesday that for the sake of their “freedom,” “lives” and their “children’s lives we will defend ourselves.”
But how do Ukraine’s military capabilities measure up to Russia?
Moscow has Kyiv both outgunned and outmanned – with at least three times the tanks of Zelenskyy’s defense forces, according to Reuters. Russia has around 900,000 active duty troops in all branches of the military compared to less than 200,000 for Ukraine, Britain’s Sky News reported.
Ukrainian soldiers ride in a military vehicle in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Zelenskyy called up the country’s reservists this week, of which there are about 900,000, according to Sky News, compared to Russia’s 2 million. Ukraine also has volunteer territorial defense units around the country.
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Russia has about 280,000 soldiers in its army compared with Ukraine’s 125,600, according to Sky News.
Tanks move during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr)
Russia also has 10 times the military aircraft of Ukraine and Kyiv’s anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense systems are lacking, according to experts, Reuters reported.
That said, Ukraine has anti-air and tank systems as well as Javelin missiles, Humvees, sniper rifles, small arms and drones supplied by the U.S., according to Reuters.
A Ukrainian serviceman carries an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Feb. 15, 2022.
(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)
The country is better equipped and more experienced militarily since Crimea was annexed by Russia eight years ago. The U.S. has given more than $2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since 2014.
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Ukraine also gets military aid and supplies from other NATO countries like the U.K., Estonia and Turkey.
Russia would still likely be favored in a full-scale war, but Ukraine is now more prepared and armed to put up a fight, according to Reuters.
