That 97% of Russia's Army is currently in Ukraine.

Question

This is supposed to be a quote from the UK's defense minister and their intel.

Answer 1

Yes, according to multiple sources, 97% of Russia's army is currently in Ukraine. They are currently still at war and have been for almost a year. The percentage being 97% is just an estimate though, so it cannot be said for sure, but 97% is a very close estimate, and it has been seen from multiple different sides. 

https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2023-02-16/russian-offensive-in-ukraine-begins-with-series-of-failures#:~:text=British%20Defense%20Secretary%20Ben%20Wallace,Russian%20army%2C%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.

https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/wallace-97-of-russian-army-is-in-ukraine

Answer 2

Russia has deployed an estimated 97% of its army in the war against Ukraine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has claimed 97% of Russia's army has been deployed within Ukraine. 

“We now estimate 97% of the whole Russian army is in Ukraine,” Wallace said on the “Today” show less than a week ago. “We haven’t actually seen this massing of a single force to punch through in a big offensive. We’ve just seen an effort to advance, and that has come at a huge cost to the Russian army.”

Multiple sources have claimed this information to be true including the New York Post, Business Insider, and even The Kyiv Independent. Multiple news outlets have linked back to Wallace, however, the source itself is credible and with previous information accessible to the public, the facts don't appear to be as astonishing. 

In March of 2022, nearly a year ago, several news reports went public stating Russia had already committed 75% of its total military to be within Ukraine. According to The Week,   in an article published on March 17, 2022, a senior U.S. defense official gave intel supporting,  "The U.S. estimates that Russian President Vladimir Putin has 'around 75 percent of his total military committed to the fight in Ukraine.'" According to The Week, the official went on to clarify later that the 75% figure mostly refers to "battalion tactical groups, which is the units that he has primarily relied upon." 

When this information went public, several news outlets investigated the claim and went on to publish their own works including articles in the National Review, CNN, and Forbes. 

All in all, nearly a year ago, Russia deployed 75% of its troops to Ukraine and in February of 2023, Russia now has an estimated 97% of its troops in Ukraine (nearly the entirety of the Russian army). 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-has-deployed-97-of-army-in-ukraine-but-is-struggling-to-advance-u-k-says-91086284

https://theweek.com/russo-ukrainian-war/1011404/putin-has-committed-75-percent-of-russias-total-military-to-the-ukraine

Answer 3

This claim is mostly true and has been substantiated by multiple sources.  Business Insider cites “UK intel” as divulged by the UK defense minister, indicating that “97% of Russia’s army is now in Ukraine”, according to Ben Wallace. He specifies 97% as an “estimate”, so the claim may not be exact down to the number, but the percentage was “reiterated” for emphasis and reflects an official analysis. (https://www.businessinsider.com/97-of-russia-army-in-ukraine-uk-intel-defense-putin-war-2023-2).

Similarly, the New York Post (https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/russia-has-97-of-army-in-ukraine-but-is-struggling-to-advance-uk/) provides a corroborating report based on an unidentified military official that “Russia has deployed around 97% of its troops as it tries to step up its offensive in eastern Ukraine — but it still lacks the manpower to “punch through” Kyiv’s defenses”, as well as the public statements of UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s statements. This number is again corroborated in sources such as the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/15/world/europe/russia-military-vuhledar-ukraine.html).