Russian military size growing
A destroyed Russian T-80 tank, its turret blown upside down, sits on a former frontline on February 27, 2023 in Bogorodychne, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. John Moore/Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to increase the size of Russia's armed forces to 2,389,130 personnel.

According to a decree obtained by European media outlet NEXTA, 1,500,000 of them are servicemen. That is up from just over 1 million before the invasion of Ukraine.

The degree goes into effect on December 1, 2024. It is the second year in a row for increases. Last December the Kremlin increased the number of servicemen in the Russian armed forces by 170,000, according to Reuters.

British officials said earlier this year that Russia's military casualties were approaching 500,000 in its invasion of Ukraine with as many as 900 casualties a day.

Russia has a draft and in 2022 it instituted a large mobilization to draft 300,000 soldiers to be sent to Ukraine. Many young men dodged the draft.

New rules make it harder to legally avoid conscription. Previously, the papers had to physically be delivered. Now, they are posted online and considered delivered according to a report in the Conversation.

Poorly motivated Russian troops have suffered from shortages of food, water and ammunition, according to the BBC.

But despite this, Russia has key advantages including more weapons and population to draw troops from versus Ukraine.

Last week, Russia launched a counteroffensive against Ukrainian forces in its Kursk region, President Vladami Zelenskyy said.

His troops carried out a surprise cross-border incursion five weeks ago and remain in Russian territory.

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