Putin Orders Increase in Russian Army’s Manpower 

By Staff, Agencies 

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Thursday a decree that orders an expand in the size of the Russian military to reach 1.15 million troops next year.

The document, published on the government’s website, adds 137,000 to the ranks of the Armed Forces from January 1, 2023.

It also instructs the cabinet to allocate the necessary funds for the expansion.

The move comes amid the Russian military operation in Ukraine, launched in late February.

Moscow sent troops into the neighboring country six months ago, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. 

In February 2022, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.