Putin Signs Decree to Expand Russian Military to 2.38Million Personnel

Putin Expands Russian Armed Forces by 180,000 as War in Ukraine Drags On

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree on Sept. 16 to expand the size of the Russian Armed Forces, increasing the total number of military personnel and staff to 2,389,130. This marks a significant jump from the current figure of around 2.2 million, with 1.5 million military personnel included in the new total.

Effective Dec. 1, 2024
The decree, set to take effect on Dec. 1, 2024, will boost the armed forces by an additional 180,000 personnel. This is the second increase in recent years; the last adjustment in December 2023 brought the number to just over 2.2 million, with 1.32 million active military personnel.

Gradual Build-up Amid Ongoing Conflict
In August 2022, six months into the war in Ukraine, Russia increased its military size to over 1.15 million personnel. Prior to the conflict, a 2017 decree set the staffing at just over 1 million.

Russia conscripted 300,000 reservists during a limited mobilization in September 2022, but has so far avoided a full-scale draft. Recruitment efforts have focused on economically weaker regions and migrants.

Heavy Losses Despite Reinforcements
Despite bolstering its ranks, Ukraine estimates that Russia continues to suffer heavy losses in the conflict. Kyiv claims that Russia is covertly recruiting around 30,000 soldiers each month to compensate for battlefield casualties, which they estimate exceed 630,000 dead, wounded, or captured as of September. Moscow, however, has not disclosed its official casualty figures.