Ukraine wants to end conflict with Russia this year: defense minister‍‍`s advisor

Yuri Sak, an adviser to Ukraine‍‍`s defense minister, said Friday that Kiev and its partners want to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict this year, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

"Our common task is to ensure the end of this war on the territory of Ukraine this year," Sack was quoted as saying at the Ukraine-France forum.

He urged Ukraine‍‍`s partners to believe that Ukraine is "capable and positioned to defeat the enemy this year."

At the start of the conflict, the Ukrainian armed forces had about 200,000 troops, now Ukraine has a nearly 1 million-strong army, Sak added.