Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to expand the nation's military forces by 180,000 troops, raising the total number to 1.5 million as Russia's military operation in Ukraine enters its third year.
The decree, published on the government's official website on Monday, September 16, will come into effect on December 1. It will increase Russia's overall military personnel to around 2.4 million, with 1.5 million active troops. The Russian government has been tasked with securing the necessary funds to support this expansion.
This marks the second increase in military numbers within a year, following a similar order in December that raised troop numbers to 2.2 million, including 1.32 million soldiers.
The decision comes as Russian forces have made gradual advances in eastern Ukraine over the past months, while Ukrainian troops continue to hold positions in Russia's Kursk region. In June, Putin stated that nearly 700,000 soldiers were involved in the Ukraine operation, which the Kremlin refers to as a "special military operation."
Following a large mobilization of 300,000 reservists after Ukraine's counteroffensive in late 2022, Russia has turned to recruiting volunteers and prisoners, offering high wages and potential freedom to bolster its ranks. The lack of sufficient manpower has been cited as a key factor in Ukraine's successful operations in the Kursk region, launched on August 6.
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