Russian dictator Putin's decree to increase the army's size is probably a formal recognition of the current finite strength of the Russian armed forces.
What does Putin's decree mean
On December 1, Putin signed a decree to increase the official number of Russian armed forces from 2.039 to 2.209 million people and the total number of combat personnel — from 1.15 to 1.32 million people.
In September 2022, the Russian government announced that 300,000 people would be mobilized into the armed forces by Putin's partial mobilization decree.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on November 29 that Russian forces had lost more than 300,000 people killed and wounded during the fighting in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022.
The recruitment of volunteers, partial conscription, and Russian losses in Ukraine probably explain the net increase of 170,000 military personnel between August 25, 2022 and December 1, 2023.
Thus, Putin's December 1, 2023 decree most likely establishes 2.209 million as the new official strength rather than ordering a significant increase in the total size of the Russian military.
Increasing the personnel number of the Russian army
On December 1, Putin decided to increase the staff of the Russian military. According to the decree, the number of personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will increase by almost 170 thousand people. The document is published on the Kremlin website and will enter into force from the day of its signing.
Last August, it was reported that Putin signed a decree according to which the number of Russian army members increased to 1.15 million people. It entered into force in 2023.
Also, in December 2022, it became known that Putin was presented with plans to expand the Russian army by approximately 30% to 1.5 million people. In March of this year, British intelligence reported that the Russian authorities were preparing for extensive conscription to cover their military needs.
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