On Monday, President Vladimir Putin announced an increase in the regular size of the Russian army by 180,000 troops, raising the total to 1.5 million active servicemen. This expansion positions Russia as the second largest military force globally, following China.

In a decree released on the Kremlin’s website, Putin specified that the overall size of the armed forces should reach 2.38 million personnel, with 1.5 million designated as active duty.

Data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a prominent military research organization, indicates that this increase would allow Russia to surpass both the United States and India in terms of active combat personnel, trailing only China, which has over 2 million active service members.

This decision marks the third expansion of the army since the onset of military operations in Ukraine in February 2022, coinciding with Russian advances in eastern Ukraine along a lengthy 1,000 km (627-mile) frontline, as they seek to displace Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region.

Despite having a population more than three times that of Ukraine and successfully recruiting volunteers with attractive contracts, Russia, like Ukraine, has faced significant battlefield casualties, with no indication that the conflict will conclude soon.

Both nations maintain that the precise figures of their losses remain classified. Andrei Kartapolov, the chairman of the defense committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament, stated that the increase in active troop numbers is part of a broader strategy to reform the armed forces and gradually expand their size in response to the current international landscape and the actions of “our former foreign partners.”

Kartapolov stated in an interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta, the official publication of the Russian parliament, that new military structures and units must be established to enhance security in the north-west region of Russia, particularly in light of Finland’s accession to NATO. He emphasized the necessity of increasing troop numbers to facilitate this initiative.

Since 2022, this marks the third increase in troop levels, following two previous orders from Putin to augment combat forces by 137,000 and 170,000, respectively. Additionally, over 300,000 soldiers were mobilized during exercises in September and October 2022, leading to a significant exodus of draft-age men from the country.

The Kremlin has indicated that no further mobilization is currently planned, opting instead to depend on volunteers to enlist for service in Ukraine. Dara Massicot, a military expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, raised concerns about whether Moscow could financially support an increase in active personnel.

She noted that while there are methods to maintain a standing force of 1.5 million, the Kremlin may be reluctant to pursue them if they fully understand the implications. Massicot questioned the feasibility of boosting the defense budget to accommodate both procurement needs and personnel requirements.

In her report on Russia’s military regeneration efforts, she suggested that Moscow might face the challenging decision of expanding the draft or modifying laws to allow greater participation of women in the military to achieve its objectives. Massicot advised monitoring for genuine recruitment initiatives rather than mere posturing, as the current volunteer system is under strain and any expansion would entail additional costs and challenges.

2. In a statement to Parlamentskaya Gazeta, the official newspaper of the Russian parliament, Kartapolov highlighted the need to establish new military formations and units to bolster security in north-west Russia, particularly following Finland’s entry into NATO. He asserted that an increase in troop numbers is essential to support this effort.

This announcement represents the third troop increase since 2022, with Putin having previously mandated two increases of 137,000 and 170,000 combat personnel. Furthermore, over 300,000 soldiers were mobilized during military exercises in September and October 2022, which resulted in a significant number of draft-age men leaving the country.

The Kremlin has stated that no new mobilization is anticipated at this time, choosing instead to rely on volunteers to join the fight in Ukraine. Dara Massicot, a military analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, expressed skepticism about Moscow’s