Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a decree on Monday adding 15,500 troops to Russia’s armed forces, the fourth such personnel increase ordered this year. The decree sets Russia’s authorised personnel strength at 2,441,630 units, including 1,550,500 military personnel.
The sources link the decision to ongoing pressures from the war in Ukraine. One outlet notes that the order comes as casualties mount in a conflict that has lasted more than four and a half years, while another places it alongside recent Ukrainian and NATO concerns about potential further escalation. Kyiv’s report also references warnings that Russia is beginning additional mobilization and expanding its use of North Korean troops. The decree itself does not provide a stated rationale for the increase, according to the accounts.
