Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the authorized strength of the country’s armed forces by 15,500 military personnel, bringing the total number of authorized military personnel to 1,550,500.
The decree, signed on Sept. 28, sets the overall authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces at 2,441,630 personnel, including 1,550,500 military personnel. The measure took effect immediately.
It marks the fourth increase in Russia’s authorized military strength this year. The previous increases came in March, June and July. From the March level of 1,502,640 authorized military personnel, the latest decree represents a cumulative increase of 47,860 military positions.
The decree itself does not provide a specific explanation for the latest increase. It does, however, instruct the Russian government to allocate the necessary federal budget funding to the Defense Ministry.
Increase in force structure does not itself constitute a new mobilization
The latest decree increases the authorized size of the armed forces, but it does not itself announce a new nationwide mobilization.
Russia last formally announced a partial mobilization in September 2022, when Putin ordered the call-up of citizens for military service. The 2022 decree remains the legal basis for that mobilization.
The latest move comes as Russia continues its full-scale war against Ukraine, with both sides suffering substantial personnel losses.
The pace of Russian territorial advances has also been affected by the widespread use of drones on the battlefield, which has made the movement of large formations more difficult.
Kyiv warns of additional Russian recruitment
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sept. 28 that Russia had effectively begun what he described as an additional mobilization, arguing that Moscow was expanding recruitment through several channels, including the recruitment of foreign nationals. These are Ukrainian government assessments and have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian intelligence officials have previously claimed that Russia was preparing to recruit as many as 300,000 people in 2026 and another 300,000 in 2027. Those figures represent Ukrainian intelligence assessments rather than confirmed Russian mobilization figures.
The Kremlin has previously rejected reports of preparations for another large-scale mobilization, while Russian authorities have emphasized recruitment through contracts and volunteer programs.
Zelenskyy cites North Korean troop preparations
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had new intelligence indicating that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently on Russian territory, while preparations are reportedly underway to deploy another 10,000 personnel.
Reuters reported the same claim, noting that the additional troops were said to be undergoing selection and training before deployment.
The latest Russian decree therefore comes amid continued efforts by Moscow to maintain and expand the personnel available to its armed forces. However, the increase in the authorized force structure should not, on its own, be interpreted as confirmation that Russia has ordered a new mass mobilization.
