The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is continuing to expand the size of his army.
Russian Army / © Associated Press
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree for another increase in the number of the Russian army as part of the ongoing military reform in the country. The document, signed on June 12, sets the total strength of the Russian Armed Forces at 2,399,130 individuals, with 1,510,000 being military personnel.
This is reported by ISW.
Putin issued a previous similar decree on March 4. At that time, the size of the Russian army was set at 2,391,770 people, including 1,502,640 servicemen. Thus, the new decision envisages an increase in the number of military personnel by 7,360 individuals.
Analysts note that such a minor expansion is unlikely to have a significant impact on the situation at the front in Ukraine. At the same time, Russia has been increasing the size of its armed forces almost every year since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. For comparison, in 2022, the army was increased by 137,000 military personnel, in 2023—by 170,000, and in 2024—by 180,000 people.
According to ISW analysts’ assessment, the increase in personnel is linked to the implementation of a large-scale reform of the Russian army, announced back in 2023 by the then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. This involves the creation of new military districts, formations, and units, which require an additional number of military personnel for manning.
Recall that Russia’s military spending in the first quarter of 2026 reached record levels, amounting to about 5.9 trillion rubles, which is equivalent to almost 46% of all federal expenditures. Thus, effectively every second ruble of the Russian budget is directed towards the war and related needs. Expenditures have significantly increased compared to previous years, continuing the trend of large-scale militarization of the Russian economy. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has already spent over 53 trillion rubles on the war.
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