https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/why-has-putin-added-15-000-new-soldiers-to-russia-s-armyContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/why-has-putin-added-15-000-new-soldiers-to-russia-s-armyhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/why-has-putin-added-15-000-new-soldiers-to-russia-s-army#u104559Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:40:50 +0000Vladimir Putin signed a September 28 decree adding 15,500 posts to the Russian military, raising the authorized force to 2,441,630 personnel. This includes 1,550,500 active-duty positions. The expansion occurs as Russia enters a fifth winter of war in Ukraine and both sides face mounting casualties. While Moscow dismisses claims of a new mobilization as disinformation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that the troop increase coincides with preparations to deploy 10,000 additional North Korean soldiers to support Russian forces.Why it mattersThis is the fourth time Russia has incre