Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree to expand the country's military forces by an additional 180,000 troops, marking the third increase in troop numbers since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This decision will bring the total number of Russian military personnel to nearly 2.4 million, with 1.5 million being combat troops. The decree, published by the Kremlin, states that the new staffing will be implemented in December.
The move comes in response to Ukraine's recent incursion into Russia's southern Kursk region, the first foreign invasion of Russian territory since World War II. Russia has intensified its efforts to push back Ukrainian forces from Kursk and advance towards the key Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region.
Since the start of 2022, Putin has previously ordered two expansions of combat troops, along with the mobilization of military reservists and conscripts. In August 2022, an increase of 137,000 troops was ordered, followed by a partial mobilization of Russian citizens in September 2022. This mobilization led to significant emigration and protests in ethnic minority regions.
In November 2023, the mobilization was suspended after meeting recruitment targets. In December of the same year, Putin ordered another expansion of 170,000 troops, bringing the total to 1.32 million. The casualty figures from the conflict remain uncertain, with Russian officials reporting lower numbers compared to Ukrainian and Western intelligence assessments.
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 5,937 Russian troops have been killed in the war, though this figure has not been updated. Ukrainian and Western sources estimate much higher casualty numbers, with the UK Ministry of Defense suggesting over 610,000 Russian casualties. The conflict is expected to continue with high casualty rates in the coming months as Russia conducts operations across various fronts.
