Russian soldiers parade through Red Square in Moscow on Victory Day, May 9, 2024. Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a major increase in the size of Russia's military, adding 180,000 new troops. This move is the third expansion since he began the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. With this latest decision, Russia's military will grow to nearly 2.4 million personnel, including 1.5 million active troops, starting in December.
This expansion follows recent events on the battlefield. Last month, Ukrainian forces made a surprise attack on Russia's southern Kursk region, marking the first foreign invasion of Russian soil since World War II. In response, Russia has intensified its efforts to drive Ukrainian forces out of Kursk and is advancing towards the key Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region.
Putin's decision to increase the number of troops is part of a broader strategy. Since the invasion began, he has ordered two previous increases in troop numbers and mobilized military reservists and conscripts. In August 2022, he raised the military's strength by 137,000, bringing the total to just over 2 million personnel. The following month, after a successful Ukrainian offensive in the Kharkiv region, Putin called for a partial mobilization, conscripting citizens with military experience and summoning reservists. This move led to a significant number of Russians fleeing the country and sparked protests, particularly in regions heavily affected by the draft.
The mobilization was put on hold in November 2023 after the goal of recruiting 300,000 personnel was achieved. However, in December, Putin ordered another increase of 170,000 troops, raising the total to 1.32 million. Despite these efforts, the true number of Russian casualties remains unclear. In September 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported 5,937 deaths, but no updates have been provided since. Estimates from Ukrainian and Western intelligence suggest much higher figures, with recent reports indicating Russia has lost over 610,000 troops.
As the conflict continues, Russia's casualty rate is expected to remain high, with ongoing operations across a broad front from Kursk in the north to Robotyne in the south. This situation underscores the intensity of the conflict and the scale of the military effort being undertaken by Russia.
