Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday increasing the number of troops by 15%, a move the military said was the result of “threats” linked to the offensive in Ukraine.
The move comes at a time when both Ukraine and Russia are trying to gain ground and replenish their ranks in the conflict, whose front lines have barely shifted in recent months.
“The increase in full-time Army personnel is due to the growing threats to our country associated with the Special Military Operation and the continued expansion of NATO,” the Army said, adding that the number of soldiers in service will increase by approximately 170,000 increase. people and that this was an “appropriate” response to the “aggressive activity of the NATO bloc”.
The Russian military added that it does not plan to change conscription or carry out another mobilization campaign – an unpopular move that caused an exodus of men from Russia last year.
Instead, the military has resorted to recruitment drives in recent months, promising attractive financial rewards, especially in remote areas. But Kremlin critics say this amounts to a “covert” mobilization and that men are still being drafted into the army sporadically.
Source: DN
