Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a new decree ordering an increase in the size of the Russian military by 180,000 soldiers.
1,5 Million Active Soldiers
This marks the third time since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that Russia has expanded its military ranks.
The increase will bring the total number of Russian military personnel to nearly 2.4 million, including 1.5 million active soldiers, according to the decree published by the Kremlin. The deadline for this expansion is set for December.
The decree comes in response to recent escalations in the conflict, including a Ukrainian attack last month on Russia’s Kursk region — the first foreign invasion of Russian territory since World War II, according to Ziare.
Additionally, Russian forces have ramped up efforts to expel Ukrainian troops from Kursk and are advancing toward the key Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region.
Two Major Troop Expansions
Since the war began, Putin has already ordered two major troop expansions. In August 2022, he increased the military by 137,000 personnel, bringing the total number to just over 2 million, including 1.15 million soldiers.
Following a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv in September 2022, Putin announced a "partial mobilization," calling up military reservists and Russian citizens with prior military experience.
The mobilization led to widespread unrest, particularly in regions with large ethnic minorities, which bore the brunt of the draft. Many citizens fled the country to avoid conscription, with neighboring Georgia and other former Soviet states becoming popular destinations.
The partial mobilization was suspended in November 2023 after officials announced they had met the goal of recruiting 300,000 soldiers. Shortly after, Putin ordered another troop increase of 170,000 in December, bringing the total to 1.32 million soldiers.
