The Kremlin warned on Wednesday that increased US arms supplies to Ukraine will intensify the war, and Russia’s defense minister called for expanding the military by at least 500,000 people.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Western-supplied weapons to kyiv “lead to an escalation of the conflict,” noting that it “does not bode well for Ukraine.”
Peskov’s comments were Russia’s first reaction to the news that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was heading to Washington to meet his US counterpart Joe Biden and address Congress.
For his part, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the reinforced Russian army will include 695,000 contract soldiers, of whom 521,000 are expected to be conscripted by the end of 2023.
The Russian military had around 400,000 contract soldiers in its million-strong army before the conflict in Ukraine.
All Russian men ages 18 to 27 must serve in the military for a year, but many use university deferrals and medical certificates to avoid conscription.
Shoigu said the conscription age range will be changed from 21 to 30 years old, and recruits will have the option to serve for one year or sign a contract as volunteers.
Speaking during a meeting Wednesday afternoon with his top military officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would use the lessons learned from the conflict to “develop the Armed Forces and strengthen the capacity of the troops.”
Putin said special emphasis would be placed on the development of nuclear forces, describing them as “the main guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty.”
Before the arrival of Zelensky, the United States announced today that it will provide Ukraine with military aid worth 1.85 billion dollars (1.75 billion euros), including a battery of Patriot missiles.
The White House announcement came just hours before Zelensky’s arrival, and the aid package includes $1 billion worth of weapons and equipment from Pentagon reserves, including the first transfer of the Patriot air defense system, and $850 million dollars in funding through Ukraine Security Assistance. Initiative (USAI).
Part of USAI will be used to fund a satellite communications system, likely to include Starlink, SpaceX’s crucial satellite network system owned by Elon Musk.
Source: TSF
