Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a significant increase in the country’s military personnel, aiming to boost the army’s size to 1.5 million active servicemen.
This move, announced in a Kremlin decree, marks a substantial expansion of Russia’s military capabilities amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine and NATO.
The expansion which will increase the armed personnel to over two million is part of a broader effort to boost its national security.
According to Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of Russia’s lower house of parliament’s defense committee on Monday, the increase is necessary to address the current international situation and the behavior of “our former foreign partners.”
Kartapolov cited Finland’s recent joining of NATO as a key factor in the decision, highlighting the need for new military units to ensure security in Russia’s northwest.
The move comes as Russian forces continue to push forward in eastern Ukraine, with both sides sustaining heavy losses.
While Russia has successfully recruited volunteers to fight in Ukraine, experts question whether the country is prepared to fund the expanded military.
Dara Massicot, a Russian military expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that increasing the defense budget and procurement would be necessary to sustain the expanded force.
Massicot suggested that Moscow might need to consider unpopular measures, such as expanding the draft or recruiting more women, to achieve its goals.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has stated that no new mobilization is planned and that the idea is to continue relying on volunteers to fill the new positions.
