Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree ordering the country's military to increase its troop numbers by 180,000, bringing the total to 1.5 million troops effective from December 1. This move comes as Russia's military involvement in Ukraine continues for over 2 ½ years.
The total number of Russian military personnel, including troops, will now stand at nearly 2.4 million. This marks an increase from the previous decree last December, which set the total at about 2.2 million, including 1.32 million troops.
The Russian military, particularly its most capable troops, has been engaged in an offensive in eastern Ukraine, making incremental gains in recent months. President Putin had previously stated that nearly 700,000 troops were involved in what the Kremlin terms a 'special military operation' in Ukraine.
In response to Ukraine's counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, Russia had called up 300,000 reservists. However, the focus has now shifted to recruiting volunteer soldiers to bolster the ranks of troops fighting in Ukraine, with attractive wages being a key incentive.
Concerns over domestic stability have led the Kremlin to be cautious about calling up more reservists, following a mass exodus in 2022 to avoid combat deployment. The shortage of military personnel has been identified as a significant factor contributing to Ukraine's successful incursion into Russia's Kursk region launched on August 6.
To address this, the Russian Defense Ministry has refrained from redeploying troops from eastern Ukraine and instead relied on reinforcements from other regions to counter the Ukrainian advance. As of Monday, the Defense Ministry reported regaining control of two additional villages in the Kursk region from Ukrainian forces.
