Putin Orders Major Expansion of Russian Army by 180,000 Troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a new decree mandating an increase in the size of the Russian army by 180,000 troops, raising its total to 1.5 million soldiers. This expansion will bring the overall number of Russian armed forces to 2.39 million, according to reports by TASS and Reuters based on the Kremlin's announcement.

The decree, which is set to take effect on December 1, follows a previous expansion in December 2023, when the Russian military was increased to 2.2 million personnel.

This decision comes in response to remarks by Putin suggesting that Ukrainian long-range weapon attacks on Russian soil could signify direct involvement of Western countries in the ongoing conflict.