Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the size of the Russian armed forces by 15,500 personnel. Although it's not a huge increase, it's the fourth one in only a year, and represents a form of "creeping mobilisation" according to Russian commentators. ⬇️
2/ The decree sets the new size of the armed forces at 2,441,630, of which 1,550,500 are military personnel, and the rest are civilian staff. This is an increase of 15,500 over the previously decreed force strength of 2,426,130, set in June 2026. 3/ Since 2023, the staffing levels of the Russian Armed Forces have increased by approximately 400,000; in December 2023, they stood at 2,209,130 (1,320,000 military personnel). 4/ 'The Towers Stick Out' comments that this represents a form of "creeping mobilisation – not in the sense of a sudden announcement of a new conscription campaign, but as a gradual expansion of the army's personnel base without a formal announcement of a mobilisation campaign." 5/ "Experts note that increasing the authorised strength of the force does not automatically mean recruiting the same number of personnel. However, it does create additional positions that can be gradually filled with contract soldiers and other categories of service members. 6/ "This is especially important given the slowdown in the signing of new contracts, despite extremely high compensation. 7/ "Thus, expanding the authorised strength allows the army to grow without declaring a new wave of forced mobilisation—a mechanism that the authorities, especially before the Duma elections, publicly sought to avoid." 8/ "There's also a structural explanation for what's happening. Russia is rebuilding the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts, forming new divisions and units, and the positions allocated in the summer were intended, among other things, for military construction units—… 9/ …a kind of modern equivalent of the Soviet construction battalions. All of these structures require formally established positions. 10/ "Therefore, the increase in authorised personnel reflects not only the need for personnel directly at the front, but also a broader restructuring of the military organisation. 11/ "Moreover, this latest army expansion is taking place amid discussions about a possible new mobilisation and warnings about the potential expansion of the Russian military threat beyond Ukraine. 12/ "The Kremlin has repeatedly denied such plans, and the latest decree itself does not confirm them. However, the consistent increase in authorised personnel numbers demonstrates that the state continues to prepare the military system for long-term strain:… 13/ …expanding its structure, creating new vacancies, and maintaining the ability to gradually increase the number of service members without the politically sensitive announcement of a new mobilisation campaign." /end Source: 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me