Putin signs decree increasing size of Russian armed forces for Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an official decree increasing the authorized personnel strength of the Russian Armed Forces to 2,441,630.

According to the legal decree published by Kremlin-aligned media:"The authorised number of personnel in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation shall be set at 2,441,630, including 1,550,500 active-duty military personnel."

Under the terms of the executive order, the overall footprint of the Russian military increases by 15,500 personnel, effectively adding the manpower equivalent of one full division.

This marks the fourth time President Vladimir Putin has expanded the military's authorized strength within the current calendar year, following previous personnel increases enacted in March, June, and late July.

The continuous military expansion occurs against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions across Europe and the Baltic region.On September 25, President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow was aware of alleged civil rights violations affecting Russian speakers in the Baltic states, though he maintained that Russia is "not preparing" for a broader military conflict in Europe.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned international allies that a substantial risk remains of further Russian military aggression against European nations.

Ukrainian intelligence services report that Moscow’s General Staff is preparing to mobilize up to 300,000 personnel annually to bolster its operational reserves alongside regular recruitment pipelines.