Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an army expansion to 1.55 million active service members on Monday, marking the fourth military size increase this year. The decree raises total armed forces strength to 2,441,630 personnel amid mounting war losses and Ukrainian warnings of incoming North Korean troop deployments.
President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on Monday that raises the strength of the Russian military by 15,500 troops. The decree brings total active-duty servicemen to 1,550,500, with the broader armed forces reaching a combined authorized strength of 2,441,630 units, according to official government text.
This latest adjustment is the fourth presidential order of its kind issued this year. Previous expansions took place in March, June, and late July, pushing total added positions since March to 47,860 soldiers, Euronews reported. Independent tracking by the exiled news outlet Meduza indicates that the military has created 52,500 new positions over the course of the year, with the vast majority designated for active-duty slots rather than civilian support staff.
Mobilization Fears and Political Context in Moscow
The Kremlin provided no official explanation for the troop increase. However, the decree arrives more than four-and-a-half years into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as both nations sustain heavy casualties and Russian battlefield advances slow down due to widespread drone warfare.
The timing has renewed public anxiety inside Russia regarding a potential new wave of mobilization. Rumors surged after parliamentary elections earlier in the month, where the ruling United Russia party secured a record number of seats in a tightly controlled political system. Activists and independent analysts anticipated a fresh draft following the vote, triggering a spike in emigration interest among service-age men.
President Putin has previously dismissed rumors of a new conscription wave as utter nonsense
, maintaining that contract soldiers and volunteers sufficiently meet military requirements. Independent analysts, however, note that recruitment among volunteers continues to shrink despite promises of substantial financial rewards. While Putin’s September 2022 decree on partial mobilisation
remains formally in force, military experts remain divided on whether the Kremlin will risk issuing a new draft order due to potential logistical hurdles and domestic unpopularity.
Ukrainian Warnings Over North Korean troop Deployments
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Moscow has effectively initiated a fresh mobilization campaign through alternative recruitment channels. Writing on social media, Zelenskyy warned that foreign forces are increasingly tied into Russian military planning.
According to Ukrainian intelligence data, more than 8,000 North Korean troops are stationed on Russian territory, with preparations underway to deploy another 10,000 soldiers following training. Most of these foreign units have operated in the Kursk region to help repel Ukrainian incursions. Since 2024, Ukrainian and South Korean estimates place total North Korean troop transfers to Russia between 14,000 and 15,000 personnel.
Moscow and Pyongyang established formal military cooperation last year, when leaders Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un acknowledged North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces. Putin publicly thanked Kim for soldiers who fought courageously and heroically
. Kyiv reports that Russia compensates Pyongyang by transferring military technology, including technical support for establishing Shahed-type attack drone production inside North Korea.
Ongoing Attacks Across Kyiv and Border Regions
The decree and troop warnings coincided with a renewed barrage of Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine. Early morning explosions shook Kyiv, leaving residential courtyards damaged by falling missile debris and setting a non-residential building on fire.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported via Telegram that recent strikes killed two people and injured 26 others in the capital. The nationwide assault followed a heavier wave of strikes on Monday that killed nine people and injured over 80. Simultaneously, a jet-powered Russian drone struck a Ukrainian village near the Polish border, damaging a border checkpoint and drawing renewed condemnation from European allies.
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