Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday ordering a 15% increase in the number of soldiers in the Russian army. He attributed this increase to “the increase in threats” related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Published on: January 12, 2023 – 10:12 p.m
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The Kremlin wants more Russians under its flag. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday, December 1, ordering a 15% increase in the number of soldiers in the Russian army. According to Moscow, this increase in its troops will take place “gradually” and on a voluntary basis, in particular to increase Russian strength in the war in Ukraine.
According to this decree published by the government, the army must have 2.2 million members, including 1.32 million soldiers. The previous decree of August 2022 set the number of planned members at 2 million, including 1.15 million military personnel.
Specifically, this means an increase of 169,372 military personnel, or almost 15% of the current combat force, without taking civilian personnel into account.
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Immediately after the announcement of this decree, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a press release explaining this increase. “The increase in the number of armed forces is due to an increase in threats directed against our country, associated with the implementation of the special military operation (the name that Moscow uses to describe the war in Ukraine – editor’s note) and the continuation of the “Enlargement is linked to NATO,” he said.
“A strengthening of the alliance’s combined forces near the Russian borders and the deployment of additional air defense forces and offensive weapons are underway,” he assured.
However, the ministry stated that this increase in personnel would occur “in stages” based on voluntary commitments and that no “(military) mobilization” was planned.
Faced with serious difficulties at the front, Russia ordered a military mobilization in September 2022, urging hundreds of thousands of young men to flee the country to avoid forced conscription and spark resentment.
Since then, the front has stabilized and Russian authorities favor recruitment on a voluntary basis, promising high salaries and benefits to those who choose to enlist.
With AFP