Russian military replaced Ukraine battlefield losses ‘far faster’ than expected, general warns – POLITICO

In a written statement, Cavoli also sounded the alarm that the Russian military has even more manpower than when it launched its full invasion in February 2022. Moscow has also increased its troops by front line of 360,000 to 470,000 troops, he noted.

“Russia is rebuilding this force far more quickly than our initial estimates suggested,” Cavoli wrote. “The army is now larger – by 15 percent – ​​than it was when it invaded Ukraine.”

The four-star general told senators that Russia has also replenished its heavy battlefield tank losses and now operates as many tanks in Ukraine as at the start of the full conflict.

Cavoli’s testimony is the latest warning about the state of the war in Ukraine and Russia’s military capability.

It comes as pressure mounts on lawmakers to pass $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, which has been held up for months on Capitol Hill. The House may soon act on its own proposal, two months after the Senate approved a $95 billion package to fund aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Cavoli warned that Ukraine was still “almost entirely dependent” on external support to fend off Russia, and particularly on the United States for artillery shells and air defense interceptors. If aid is not restored quickly, he said, the fight will turn to Russia. And if it succeeds in Ukraine, Russia will likely threaten other Eastern European countries.