Putin Orders Military Expansion, Adding 180,000 Soldiers by December

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the expansion of his military forces by adding 180,000 soldiers. The directive, signed by Putin, will take effect in December.

This marks the third time Russia has increased its military personnel since launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

With this new increase, Russia’s military personnel will reach 2.4 million, including 1.5 million soldiers. The latest expansion follows Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s border in the Kursk region last month.

In August 2022, Putin ordered the addition of 137,000 soldiers, bringing the total to 1.15 million at the time.

By December 2023, he mandated another 170,000 soldiers, raising the number to over 1.32 million.