British Army troop numbers plunged by more than 1,000 in just three months, figures showed today.
Regular Ministry of Defence data slipped out as war continued to rage in Ukraine showed the overall strength of UK Armed Forces dropped by 1,800 between October and January, from 198,940 to 197,140.
The fall was fuelled by a decrease in the number of full-time soldiers from 82,040 to 80,980 - a drop of 1,060.
The Government has abandoned a pledge to maintain the size of the Regular Army at 82,000 and will let it dwindle to 73,000 - making it the smallest Army for 300 years.
The decision has been hit by fresh criticism after Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to invade Ukraine.
Shadow Defence Minister Luke Pollard said: “Conservative ministers have cut the British Army to its smallest size in 300 years, with frontline troops bearing the brunt of these cuts.
"Our Armed Forces are essential to our national security and resilience.
“With growing Russian aggression, the Government is pushing ahead with further cuts to the Army by 10,000 troops over the next three years.
“Ministers must halt these cuts now.
" Labour also expects a big boost for defence spending in the Chancellor’s upcoming budget.”
It comes as Keir Starmer today told Nato troops in Estonia “the eyes of the world are upon you”.
Visiting a Tapa military base with shadow defence secretary John Healey, he thanked soldiers for providing “reassurance” through their presence at the base in the country bordering Russia.
He added that “there is no time for party politics” because the world faces “a very grave situation” amid Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
A small number of serving British personnel are believed to have gone absent without leave to join the fight against the Russian invasion.
Boris Johnson warned they would face court martial on their return to the UK, as Ministry of Defence chiefs have banned all service personnel from travelling to Ukraine “until further notice”.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said earlier this week: “It is illegal for British service personnel to first of all go absent without leave in the first place, but to go absent without leave in order to fight in a foreign war is simply unacceptable, and frankly risks the United Kingdom being wrongly claimed by Russia to be a belligerent in this.
“Service people who might think they are doing the right thing should reflect it is 100% not the correct thing to be doing.”
