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Putin Adds 15,500 Active Troops to Russia’s Military, Raising Force to 1.55 Million
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin has issued a new executive order adding 15,500 active service members to the Russian Armed Forces, setting the total military headcount at 2,441,630 individuals, which includes 1,550,500 active military personnel.
Prior to this change, the total military headcount stood at 2,426,130 positions, with 1,535,000 active service members, according to The Moscow Times on September 28.
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This decision marks the fourth time this year and the seventh time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that the Kremlin has expanded its authorized military strength.
This recent adjustment follows a decree signed in late July, which added 25,000 active troops to establish dedicated military construction units, The Moscow Times reported.
Earlier in the year, a June 12 presidential order raised the number of active troops to 1,510,000, bringing total military personnel to 2,399,130. That followed a March adjustment that set the overall military workforce at 2,391,770, including 1,502,640 active soldiers.
According to draft budget projections for 2027, defense allocations could rise to 17.1 trillion rubles ($223.6 billion), accounting for 35% of all federal expenditure.
Russia has already begun an additional mobilization effort, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during his evening address. Ukrainian intelligence previously reported that Russian forces plan to mobilize 300,000 personnel this year.
The expansion also involves an influx of foreign soldiers. Specifically, 8,000 North Korean troops are already on Russian territory, with an additional 10,000 set to deploy. According to the president, in exchange for this troop deployment and with Russian technical support, Shahed drone production has been established inside North Korea.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia has started additional mobilization efforts, planning to draft 300,000 troops alongside deploying 18,000 North Korean soldiers.
Previously, it was reported that Russia may be preparing a new wave of mobilization. Ongoing heavy losses and a stalled offensive have fueled expectations in Moscow that a large-scale conscription drive could be launched later this year.
According to these reports, the resulting pressure is already being felt within military enlistment offices.
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