Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved an increase of 15,500 military personnel in the country’s armed forces, according to a decree signed Monday.
The order raises the authorised number of military personnel to 1,550,500 and the overall personnel strength of the Russian armed forces to 2,441,630.
No reason was given for the latest increase.
It is the fourth decree this year expanding the size of the Russian military. Putin previously approved increases in March, June and July, bringing the combined rise since March to 47,860 military personnel.
The latest order comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to suffer casualties in the war, now more than four and a half years old.
Russia’s advances on the battlefield have slowed this year, with extensive use of drones making large-scale troop movements more difficult.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of preparing another mobilisation. Putin has dismissed those claims as Ukrainian disinformation.
The Russian president last ordered a mobilisation of reservists in 2022 following a series of battlefield setbacks in Ukraine.
AFP
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