Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on Friday to increase the number of military forces by 15 percent, a move the army said was due to “threats” linked to the attack in Ukraine.
The decree comes as both Ukraine and Russia seek to achieve gains on the ground and remobilize their forces in the conflict, which has seen little change on the front lines in recent months.
“The increase in the Army’s standing force is due to increasing threats to our country associated with the Special Military Operation and the continued expansion of NATO,” the Army statement said.
He added that the number of soldiers in service will increase by about 170,000, and this is an “appropriate” response to “the hostile activity of the NATO bloc.”
The statement pointed out that there are no plans to make changes to the rules of conscription or organize another mobilization campaign, an unpopular measure that caused a mass flight of men from Russia last year.
Instead, in recent months, the army has focused on recruitment campaigns with promises of lucrative financial rewards, especially in remote areas.
But Kremlin critics considered this measure amounting to a “hidden” mobilization, as the recruitment of men into the army continues intermittently.
#Putin #issue #decree #increasing #number #Russian #army #percent
2023-12-01 19:34:22
