Additional Coverage:
- Putin orders military to boost troop numbers by 180,000 to 1.5 million as Ukraine fighting continues (newsbreak.com)
Russia Increases Troop Strength by 180,000
President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to bolster its ranks by 180,000 troops, bringing the total to 1.5 million. The decision comes as the conflict in Ukraine lingers.
The order, effective December 1, sets the total number of Russian military personnel at 2.4 million, including 1.5 million troops. The government is tasked with funding the expansion.
Russia’s most experienced troops have been advancing in eastern Ukraine, making slow but steady gains. Putin previously estimated that 700,000 troops were involved in the conflict.
Despite calling up 300,000 reservists in 2022, Russian authorities are now relying on volunteer soldiers to fill combat ranks. Experts note that the Kremlin has been hesitant to mobilize more reservists due to fears of social unrest.
The shortage of troops has been a contributing factor to Ukraine’s success in its recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. The Kremlin has avoided diverting troops from eastern Ukraine, relying on reinforcements from elsewhere to counter the incursion.