Putin orders massive Russian army boost, raising fears of mobilization
6:51 AM EDT, September 19, 2024
As the independent portal Meduza reported, Vladimir Putin ordered an increase in the Russian army by 180,000 people. What does the Russian President’s decision mean? The Russians are terrified because mass mobilization into the military could start again. Without it, the aggressor cannot make progress in Ukraine.
On September 16, the Kremlin's website published Vladimir Putin’s decree to increase the Russian army to 1.5 million soldiers. According to Google Trends, on the same day, Russians began actively querying this decision.
Users were interested, among other things, if the expansion of the Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation is related to plans for a new wave of mobilization.
What does this look like in practice? From December 1, 2024, it will increase by 180,000 people — from 1.32 million to 1.5 million. The decree repeats similar documents from 2022 and 2023. During those years, the number of military personnel on budgetary payrolls increased by 12.5% and 14.7%, respectively (in 2024 - by 13.6%).
All three decrees are not directly related to the conscription of contract soldiers or mobilization. The documents primarily regulate how much money must be spent from the state treasury to maintain regular military positions.
Meanwhile, the army continues to grow, acquiring new contract soldiers. Most of them join the Russian Ground Forces and Airborne Forces and are directed to fight in Ukraine.
Plans to recruit new recruits are being sent from the Kremlin to the regions. When the regional authorities implement this plan, they will determine when (or if) a new wave of mobilization will be announced.
Putin’s decision revealed. New information available
As highlighted by the Meduza portal, in 2024, the rate of hiring in the Russian army significantly slowed. According to the budget implementation report, in the first quarter, 73,400 one-time federal benefits were paid out when signing military contracts. This corresponds to about 295,000 new recruits annually.
In response to the slowdown in recruitment, the Kremlin more than doubled the federal salary (from approximately 2,200 to approximately 4,400 USD) upon signing the agreement. Many regions also increased payments for soldiers due to difficulties in achieving the plan.
