Total Armed Forces of 2.44 million, Active Military Personnel Increased to 1.55 million, Russian Army Expands for the Fourth Time This Year

[Global Times Special Correspondent in Russia, Fei Yun, Liu Yupeng] On September 28, Russian President Putin signed a presidential decree setting the total authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces at 2,441,630 personnel, including 1,550,500 active-duty military personnel (an increase of 15,500 from the current number). The presidential decree also requires the federal government to allocate budget funds to the Ministry of Defense to implement this order. Relevant documents have been published on the Russian legal documents website. European news outlets report that this is the fourth expansion of the armed forces in Russia this year. The Russian newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" quoted retired Colonel Viktor Baranets, who stated that the number of personnel in the Russian military, including military and civilian staff, has been steadily increasing in recent years. This is Russia's response to the changing global military and political environment: in addition to the special military operation, Russia is also facing an increasing threat from NATO and European countries.

Russian side: Not a military mobilization

According to a report by TASS on the 29th, after the issuance of the new presidential decree, the previously issued decree regarding this matter "has been deemed invalid." In July of this year, Putin signed an order to form several military construction engineering units and increased the total authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces to over 2.42 million, including 1,535,000 active-duty military personnel, with the decree taking effect on August 1. In June of this year, a presidential decree signed by Putin set the total authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces at over 2.39 million, with 1.51 million active-duty personnel. Reports indicate that from March to September 2026, the total number of personnel in the Russian Armed Forces increased by 49,860.

European news outlets reported on the 29th that President Putin signed decrees in March, June, and July of this year to expand the size of the military. Moscow did not specify the reasons, but this was done against the backdrop of increasing losses in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This year, the widespread use of drones has made rapid mobilization of large forces nearly impossible, and the Russian military's pace of advancement on the battlefield has slowed.

Public reports show that the presidential decree signed by President Putin in August 2022 (effective from January 1, 2023) set the total authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces at approximately 2.04 million, with about 1.15 million active-duty personnel. In September of the same year, Putin delivered a nationwide televised address, stating that the West's "aggressive anti-Russian policy has crossed all boundaries," and Russia would carry out partial military mobilization. The Russian Ministry of Defense subsequently announced the conscription of 300,000 reservists, effective that day.

Ukrainian President Zelensky posted a video message on social media platform X on the 29th, stating that "essentially, Russia has begun further mobilization, expanding the scale of military recruitment and taking various measures for this purpose." He also mentioned that Russia plans to increase the number of foreigners in its military.

Putin stated earlier this month that the negotiation process related to the Ukraine issue has stalled, and rumors about Russia announcing a new round of mobilization after the State Duma (lower house of parliament) elections are nonsense and part of an "information war" against Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that there is no need for mobilization, calling it an enemy's lie. They themselves lack human resources, and no one is fighting on the battlefield.

According to the Russian news outlet Lenta on the 29th, this military expansion does not mean a declaration of mobilization, and the Russian government has not urgently called for reservists to enlist. War correspondent Alexander Sladkov believes that the presidential decree for expansion "clearly does not equate to total mobilization." In the current situation, Russia needs qualified military personnel, not just numbers. Additionally, sending untrained soldiers to the front lines is not cost-effective for the country.

Ukrainian Defense Minister cancels visit to Germany

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced on the 29th that Defense Minister Reznikov canceled his planned trip to Germany due to the intensification of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. AFP reported that Ukraine is currently urging its allies to strengthen military and financial assistance to help resist Russian drone and missile attacks. Zelensky posted on social media on the 29th that Kyiv city, as well as Kyiv Oblast, Odesa Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, and Volyn Oblast, have all been subjected to airstrikes.

"As the war in Ukraine enters another winter, this decree marks the fourth increase in military personnel this year," stated the American CNBC website, noting that both Russia and Ukraine have suffered significant losses on the battlefield. Zelensky warned during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last week that if a ceasefire agreement cannot be reached in the coming weeks, the upcoming winter will be painful for Russia, while also acknowledging that the Ukrainian government is concerned about facing another difficult winter.

The RT website reported that on the 28th, Putin met with party leaders entering the new State Duma at the Kremlin, stating that the recently concluded ninth State Duma elections are significant and constructive, and the high voter turnout proves the absolute legitimacy of this election. The voting results indicate that the Russian public supports the Russian military, and candidates who participated in the special military operation against Ukraine won parliamentary seats. Putin emphasized that all attempts to disrupt the electoral process and interfere in Russia's internal affairs have completely failed, and the sovereign rights of the Russian people to determine their own future have been defended, "victory will surely belong to us."