The ruler of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree that increased the staff of the Russian army to more than 2.3 million people.
The document is published on the official Russian resource.
According to the decree, the staff of the armed forces of the Russian Federation now amounts to 2,391,770 people, of which 1,502,640 are directly military personnel. The previous decree of September 2024 expired, and the increase in the number was 2 640 military.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky notes that despite the formal increase in staff, there is no real increase in the Russian group. According to him, the losses of the Russian army exceed the replenishment: in 2025, the Russian Federation attracted about 406 thousand people, but lost about 419 thousand.
Sirsky warns that the Kremlin plans in 2026 to recruit another 409 thousand contract soldiers and bring its group in Ukraine to 800 thousand military.
According to the Ukrainian command, more than 700 thousand Russian soldiers are currently involved against the Armed Forces of Ukraine – a figure that was also voiced by Putin himself. However, according to Ukrainian military estimates, the actual increase in the group is restrained by high losses, which complicates the build-up of combat capabilities of the Russian Federation.
The situation testifies to the Kremlin’s large-scale efforts to expand the army, but experts point out that the key factor remains Russia’s ability to compensate for losses and ensure the training of new military.
Photo – getty images
