Putin signs decree adding 15,500 troops to Russian army

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the authorised size of the Russian armed forces by 15,500 personnel. The order is the fourth expansion decree issued this year and raises the official strength of the army to 2,441,630 units, including 1,550,500 military personnel. The move comes as Russia's war in Ukraine continues and battlefield conditions remain fluid.

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The decree follows earlier orders in March, June and July, bringing the combined increase since March to 47,860 soldiers. The president did not give a public explanation for the decision. The timing is notable because it comes amid reports of rising losses on both sides and a slower pace of Russian advances on the battlefield.

The widespread use of drones has made large-scale movement of forces more difficult, while recent weeks have also brought reports of Ukrainian breakthroughs on some sections of the front. The latest expansion adds to a pattern of force adjustments since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin last announced a partial mobilisation of reservists in September 2022 after a series of setbacks at the front, and that decree remains in force.

In August, Ukrainian intelligence said Moscow planned to call up up to 300,000 people this year for deployment to the front, with the same number again next year. Analysts have also pointed to preparatory measures by Russian authorities as signs of a possible new mobilisation wave. The decision matters because it suggests continued pressure on Russia's military manpower as the war grinds on.

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It also comes against a backdrop of debate over whether the Kremlin can meet its needs through contract soldiers and volunteers alone. Independent analysts have said recruitment among those groups has continued to shrink despite large financial incentives, while the Kremlin has insisted that its armed forces are being sufficiently supplied through voluntary enlistment. The decree has also drawn political attention in Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was already carrying out additional mobilisation through different methods.

He urged governments in countries from which Russia recruits people to take steps to counter that effort. His comments underline how the manpower question has become part of the wider strategic contest between Moscow and Kyiv, alongside battlefield developments and efforts to sustain long-term military operations. What remains unclear is how the new personnel target will be implemented and whether it will lead to a visible change in recruitment or mobilisation policy.

It is also not clear whether the increase reflects immediate battlefield needs, longer-term planning, or both. The next developments to watch are any further Kremlin statements, changes in recruitment activity, and whether Ukrainian or independent assessments indicate a broader mobilisation effort.

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