Putin expands army for fourth time this year as war losses mount
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on September 28 increasing the authorized size of the Russian military. The order adds 15,500 active-duty posts, raising the total active force to 1.55 million. This marks the fourth such expansion since March 2026 as the conflict in Ukraine enters its fifth winter. Simultaneously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that North Korea is preparing to deploy an additional 10,000 troops to support Russian forces.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ Vladimir Putin signed a decree on September 28 to increase the size of the Russian armed forces.
- ✓ The decree adds 15,500 active-duty troops, bringing the active force to 1.55 million.
- ✓ This is the fourth time the Russian military staffing levels have been increased this year.
- ✓ President Zelenskyy stated that North Korea is preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia.
What changed
Putin issued a September 28 decree adding 15,500 active-duty positions to the Russian military.
Live updates
-
Putin expands Russian army for fourth time in 2026
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on September 28 increasing the authorized size of the Russian military. The order adds 15,500 active-duty posts, raising the total active force to 1.55 million. This marks the fourth such expansion since March 2026 as the conflict in Ukraine enters its fifth winter. Simultaneously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that North Korea is preparing to deploy an additional 10,000 troops to support Russian forces.
Why it matters
These incremental staffing increases occur as Russia's military operations in Ukraine appear to stall. The reliance on foreign manpower and frequent decree-based expansions suggests a need to offset mounting war losses.
What is confirmed
- Vladimir Putin signed a decree on September 28 to increase the size of the Russian armed forces.
- The decree adds 15,500 active-duty troops, bringing the active force to 1.55 million.
- This is the fourth time the Russian military staffing levels have been increased this year.
- President Zelenskyy stated that North Korea is preparing to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia.
Still unconfirmed
- Russia's total authorized force, including non-active duty, has reached 2,441,630.
- Moscow has already begun additional mobilization efforts.
What to watch next
- Confirmation of the arrival of 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia
- Further decrees regarding Russian military staffing levels
- Official Russian government statements regarding the September 28 decree
confidence 95%Sources used for this update (29)
- gtvnewshd.com — Iran Warns Enemies: “Surprises” Are Ready as New Military Technology Awaits
- cultmtl.com — Observations from Montreal
- pravda.com.ua — Putin signs decree increasing size of Russian armed forces
- UNITED24 Media — Putin Adds 15,500 Active Troops to Russia’s Military, Raising Force to 1.55 Million
- Reuters — Ukraine's Zelenskiy says North Korea prepares to deploy another 10,000 troops to Russia
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — Zelenskyy Warns of New Russian Mobilization and 10,000 North Korean Troop Deployment
- The Guardian — Ukraine war briefing: Putin orders army expansion as Zelenskyy says more North Koreans to be deployed in Russia
- Euronews.com — Putin expands army for fourth time this year as war losses mount
- themoscowtimes.com — Putin Orders Russian Army to Increase Troop Size to 1.55M
- CNBC — Putin orders army expansion as Zelenskyy warns Russia preparing to deploy 10,000 North Korean troops
- www.euronews.com — New Russian mobilisation: Putin signs decree adding 15,500 ...
- Al Jazeera — Why has Putin added 15,000 new soldiers to Russia’s army?
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community