The Kremlin wants to bolster Russia's armed forces to 1.5million military combat personnel to prevent future embarassments like those seen in Ukraine, it has been reported.
Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said beefing up the country's current 1.15million servicemen and women would "guarantee the solving of problems related to Russia's military security" at a conference of leading military officials.
Nearly half of the fighting force would be professional soldiers rather than conscripts, he added.