Russia⁤ to Expand Military: Putin Orders Increase in Combat ⁢Troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin⁢ has ​ordered an⁢ increase in combat troops by 180,000‍ to 1.5‍ million, making ​Russia the second-largest army in the‍ world, second only to China.

According to a decree published on the Kremlin’s website, Putin ordered an‌ increase in all sectors of the armed forces to 2.38 ⁣million, of ⁤which 1.5 million​ will‌ be⁤ active‍ soldiers.

Russia’s Military Expansion

The ⁣International Institute‍ for Strategic Studies (IISS) found that increasing manpower⁢ this much would allow Russia to overtake the United States and India in terms of the number of troops ready to fight, and second only to the⁤ People’s Republic ​of China, which‌ has more than 2 million regular soldiers.

This is the third time⁣ Putin has‍ ordered an expansion of Russia’s military since launching its war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. The move comes as Russia moves to seize territory in eastern⁣ Ukraine and trying to⁣ expel‍ Ukrainian troops ⁢from the Kursk region.

War in Ukraine

Although⁢ Russia has a population more than three times that of Ukraine and ⁢has managed ⁤to use agreements to attract many volunteers to fight in‍ Ukraine, it cannot ⁤be denied that Russia has‍ lost as many‍ men while fighting as⁢ Ukraine. The war still shows no signs of ending ​easily.

Both sides have never disclosed⁣ the number‌ of ‍military casualties in⁣ the war, as it is considered a military secret.

Military Reform Plan

Andrei Kartapolov, Chairman ⁤of the Defense Committee of the Russian House of Representatives, stated ⁤that this ‌increase in personnel is part of the ⁣military reform plan. ​It ⁢will increase gradually in line⁣ with the world‍ situation, including the behavior‍ of “Our former foreign partner.”

“For example, we need to add new structures and military units. It was⁣ created‍ to ensure stability in the north-western region ⁢(Russia)⁤ after⁤ Finland, which borders us, ⁣joined the⁢ North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),” Kartapolov said in an interview with the parliamentary media.

Previous Increases

Since⁣ 2022,⁣ Putin ‍has twice issued orders⁤ to increase the number of‌ combat-ready troops, increasing them by 137,000 and 170,000 respectively.

Russia has also called up‌ 300,000 ​reserve personnel in September and⁤ October 2022, encouraging tens‍ of thousands of men of conscription age to flee abroad.

The Kremlin⁤ confirmed ⁢that the government has no plans to call‌ for additional reserve personnel and still insists ‌on using the ‍method​ of accepting “volunteers” to fight in Ukraine.

Source: Reuters