Putin orders major army expansion amid ongoing Ukraine conflict

Vladimir Putin has issued a third decree related to increasing the number of army personnel since the start of the war in Ukraine. Effective December 1, the number of active soldiers will rise to 1.5 million, and the total armed forces will reach 2,389,000 people.

According to the portal "Moscow Times," the number of active soldiers is set to increase by 180,000. It's worth noting that a year earlier, in December 2023, the army size grew by 170,000, and even earlier, in 2022, by 137,000.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it does not plan any additional conscription or mobilization. The army will be increased through volunteers who sign up for contract service.

The Reuters agency reminds us that in the fall of 2022, Russia mobilized over 300,000 soldiers, which led to a massive exodus of conscription-age men from the country.

According to Western intelligence reports, since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia may have lost up to 450,000 killed and wounded. The Russian editorial office of the BBC, in cooperation with Mediazone, confirmed the deaths of at least 68,000 people. Most of the casualties were volunteers who signed contracts after the invasion began.