by D. Michael DeRidder
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree today “On establishing the staffing levels of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.” The decree takes effect December 1, and increases the Russian military staffing level to a total of 2,389,130 personnel, including 1,500,000 military personal.
The latest expansion of the Russian military comes after recent Ukrainian requests to the United States and other Western allies for permission to use long-range missiles in strikes inside of Russia. Putin’s decision to increase the Russian military by 180,000 personnel is his third expansion since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.
