Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has increased the size of the Russian army by 180,000 people.
The corresponding document was published on the official information portal of Russia.
Increase in the size of the Russian army
Thus, from December 1, 2024, the size of the Russian army will be increased to 2 million 389 thousand people, and the number of military personnel — up to 1.5 million people.
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In addition, Russian President Putin ordered that money from the state budget be allocated to the Russian Ministry of Defense for the maintenance of these military personnel.
Recall that the last time Putin increased the size of the Russian army by 170 thousand people was in December 2023.
What does the increase in the size of the army in Russia mean
In the ICTV Fakty Kommentarii, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies Mikhail Samus explains that this increase in the size of the army is part of the plan that former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed to Putin back in December 2022.
The expert explains that the increase in numbers is due to the fact that in Russia there is a staffing table for the number of armed forces, and there is the number of troops that are involved in carrying out certain operations, in particular in Ukraine. However, these processes are not directly correlated with each other.
— Of course, there is a dependence, since no one will increase the size of the army if you are not waging a war. If you are waging a war, then, theoretically, you need more personnel to perform various tasks. But there is no direct correlation here, he says.
As the expert explains, due to the increase in the number of troops, more units will be created in Russia, but this does not mean that they will be sent to the front immediately, since these units still need to be created and trained, which will happen only in 2025.
— It can be said that Russia is preparing for operations next year. That is, the increase in the number of — is about next year, — he explains.
Samus adds that today Russia has problems with reserves and this is felt at least by the fact that the Russian army has not yet been able to find methods to neutralize threats in the Kursk region and make a qualitative breakthrough in the Donbass.
A military expert explains that the recruitment of these troops, to replenish the army, in Russia will occur through the signing of contracts by Russians with the Russian Defense Ministry.
— The Russian Federation has a population of 140 million people. I think that they still have 20 million to get from. I don't see any problems here at all in where to get the personnel of the Russian army, — he says and reminds that today about $20 thousand is paid for signing a contract in certain regions of Russia with the Ministry of Defense.
Therefore the problem is not so much the number of enemy troops, but also the ability of the Kremlin to replenish and restore this army, which is happening at the expense of petrodollars.
Russia's unwillingness to go to peace talks
In parallel with this, the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine explains that the increase in the number of the Russian army indicates that Russia is not preparing for peace talks, which is periodically stated by both Putin and other Russian officials.
— Today's document once again showed that all statements by Putin, other high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation and their propaganda about “readiness for peace negotiations” — are just an imitation. The methodical increase of the army — is preparation for escalation and a long war, — explain in the CPD.
Thus, Putin's decree also “debunked the lie of Russian propaganda about minimal losses of Russians in Ukraine”, add in the CPD, since the increase of the Russian army by almost a quarter in two years indicates “huge losses of the enemy and the desire to compensate for them by increasing the number of military”.
