Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the number of Russian Armed Forces from roughly 2.2 million to 2,389,130 people, including 1.5 million military personnel, effective December 1, 2024.

The decree will take effect on Dec. 1, 2024, and will increase the total number of Russian military personnel and staff by 180,000.

The last time the staffing level was increased was in December 2023, amounting to 2,209,130 people, including 1,320,000 military personnel.

In August 2022, six months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, the number of personnel in the Russian Armed Forces increased to 1,150,628.

The 2017 decree was in force at that time, according to which the staff should have been 1,013,628.

Russia conscripted around 300,000 reservists during a limited mobilization in September 2022.

Ukraine believes that Russia continues to covertly recruit around 30,000 soldiers monthly.

Kyiv believes that Russian losses have exceeded over 630,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured as of September.

On 16 September 2024, Russian President Putin signed a decree to increase the size of the Russian military with an additional 180,000 personnel to 1.5 million in total coming into effect from December 2024.

This is the third decree that has been signed by Putin to increase the size of the Russian military since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

Decree increases Russian Armed Forces to 2,389,000 personnel effective December 1, 2024

Vladimir Putin issued a decree on September 16 increasing the number of personnel in the Russian Armed Forces to 2 million 389 thousand people.