Vladimir Putin has signed a decree ordering an expansion of Russia's active military personnel to 1,550,000 — an increase of 15,500 — bringing the total size of Russia's armed forces, including all categories of personnel, to 2,441,630, according to The Guardian.
The decree, issued Monday, is not the first such expansion. The Guardian reports it follows a similar increase ordered in August, signaling a sustained and deliberate effort by Moscow to grow its military capacity as the war in Ukraine surpasses four and a half years. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to suffer mounting casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy added a separate dimension to the escalating picture on Monday, stating on X that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently on Russian territory, with preparations underway to deploy an additional 10,000. Citing what he described as new data, Zelenskyy said those additional troops are being selected for training before deployment. North Korea has sent an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to support Russia's war effort since 2024, according to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates reported by The Guardian, with most deployed in the Kursk region to repel a Ukrainian incursion. Both Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un publicly confirmed the deployment last year, describing the soldiers as heroes.
The dual moves — a formalized expansion of Russia's military ceiling and the prospective arrival of yet another North Korean contingent — underscore a Russian war effort that shows no sign of contraction. Moscow is institutionalizing its wartime force structure through decree while simultaneously drawing on foreign manpower to sustain frontline pressure. The human cost continues to mount: Zelenskyy reported nine Ukrainians killed and more than 80 injured in Russian drone strikes across the country on Monday, with explosions again heard over Kyiv early Tuesday.
Pope Leo, speaking to reporters aboard his return flight to Rome following a visit to France, called on leaders from both Russia and Ukraine to sit down and engage in dialogue, framing the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion members as a constituency with an obligation to demand peace. The call landed against the backdrop of a war that, by every available metric, is expanding rather than contracting.