Putin boosts military troops to 1.5 million amid Ukraine conflict

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a significant increase in military personnel, ordering an addition of 180,000 troops to reach a total of 1.5 million. This decision comes as the conflict in Ukraine continues for over two and a half years, with the new troop levels set to take effect on December 1. The overall number of military personnel will rise to nearly 2.4 million, reflecting the Kremlin's ongoing commitment to its military operations in the region. The previous troop increase occurred in December of the prior year, which raised the total military personnel to about 2.2 million, including 1.32 million active troops. The Russian military has been actively engaged in eastern Ukraine, where they have made gradual gains in recent months. In June, the number of troops involved in the so-called 'special military operation' was reported to be nearly 700,000. In response to Ukraine's counteroffensive, Russian authorities had previously called up 300,000 reservists. However, they have since shifted to recruiting volunteer soldiers, attracted by higher wages, to fill the ranks. This strategy reflects the Kremlin's reluctance to mobilize more reservists due to fears of domestic unrest, as seen in 2022 when many fled the country to avoid combat. The shortage of military personnel has been a critical factor in Ukraine's recent successes, including an incursion into Russia's Kursk region. The Kremlin has been cautious about redeploying troops from eastern Ukraine, instead relying on reinforcements from other areas to counteract Ukrainian advances, as evidenced by the recent reclaiming of two villages in the Kursk region by Russian forces.