Putin Orders Russian Army to Increase Troop Size to 1.55M
The move adds 15,500 active troops as Ukraine warns Russia is expanding recruitment and foreign military support.
- On September 28, President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order adding 15,500 active service members to the Russian Armed Forces, raising total headcount to 2,441,630 with 1,550,500 active personnel.
- This decree marks the fourth military expansion this year and the seventh since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, following a late-July order that added 25,000 troops for construction units.
- According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has initiated additional mobilization efforts planning to draft 300,000 troops alongside deploying 18,000 North Korean soldiers, with 8,000 already present and 10,000 set to arrive.
- Russia's draft budget projections for 2027 suggest defense allocations could rise to 17.1 trillion rubles , accounting for 35% of all federal expenditure.
- Heavy military losses and a stalled offensive have fueled expectations in Moscow that a large-scale conscription drive could be launched later this year, reflecting persistent strain on Russian Armed Forces manpower.
216 Articles
216 Articles
Vladimir Putin once again raises his army massively, financially and personally. Not only does he send a clear signal to Ukraine and the West, but he also raises worrying questions for Russian society.
Russia wants to further expand its armed forces. What Putin is planning, who could be mobilised and how high the losses are.
In total, Putin has increased the number of military personnel seven times since Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The number that should terrify Europe: Russia’s force hits 1.5 million & reason remains classified
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered another 15,500 military personnel to be added to the country’s authorised armed forces, marking the fourth such expansion in 2026. The move comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims Russia has begun additional mobilisation and says another 10,000 North Korean troops are being prepared for deployment to Russia.
Putin steps up – and orders a new expansion of the Russian military. It will be the fourth military expansion this year.
For the fourth time this year, the Kremlin leader has increased the strength of his army, and Moscow is increasing its military spending target by more than a quarter by 2027.
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