President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the full-time strength of the Russian army by 15% — the country’s armed forces will now total 2,209,130 personnel, including 1,320,000 troops.
“The increase in the number of military personnel in the Russian Armed Forces is being implemented step by step by enlisting citizens who express a desire to serve under contract. The increase in the number of troops is due to the growing threats to Russia related to the [special military operation] and the ongoing expansion of NATO,” read a statement from Russia’s Defence Ministry, cited by the Interfax news agency.
The last time Russia increased its troop strength was in August 2022, when it went up by 140,000 soldiers. The maximum size of Russia’s army was then set at 2,039,758, including 1,150,628 soldiers.
In September 2022, Russia announced a “partial mobilisation.” Prior to that, the number of troops had last been increased in 2017.