Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree to increase the size of the Russian military, adding 15,500 personnel to its active-duty ranks. This expansion brings the total number of active-duty servicemen to 1,550,500, while the overall authorized strength of the armed forces will rise to 2,441,630 personnel.
This marks the fourth expansion of Russia’s military forces in 2026, following similar increases ordered in March, June, and July. Together, these adjustments have resulted in tens of thousands of new positions within the Russian military establishment.
The decree does not specify a reason for the latest increase. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Russia is intensifying recruitment through various channels, although Russian officials have dismissed claims that a new large-scale mobilization is imminent.
Previously, in September 2022, Russia announced a partial mobilization. The current order enlarges the authorized size of the armed forces but stops short of declaring any new mobilization efforts.