Putin mandates expansion of Russian Armed Forces to 2.4 million personnel

President Putin signed a decree increasing the authorized strength of the Russian military to 2.42 million personnel, including 1.53 million active-duty troops. This marks the sixth expansion since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the third in six months, signaling a sustained effort to bolster force capacity despite ongoing attrition. The effectiveness of this expansion remains uncertain given potential recruitment and training constraints.