Putin Orders Russian Army to Expand by 180,000 Soldiers to Become 1.5 Million-strong

Russian army servicemen walk at an exhibition displaying armoured vehicles and equipment captured by the Russian army from Ukrainian forces in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, at Victory Park open-air museum on Poklonnaya Gora in Moscow, Russia May 31, 2024. （REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov）

MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to increase by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million soldiers, the third time he has expanded its ranks since sending the military into Ukraine in February 2022.

In a decree published on the Kremlin's website, Putin ordered the overall size of the armed forces to be increased to 2.38 million people, of which he said 1.5 million should be active servicemen.

Putin since 2022 had previously ordered two official increases in the number of combat troops - by 137,000 and 170,000 respectively.

In addition, Russia mobilised over 300,000 soldiers in September and October 2022 in an exercise which prompted tens of thousands of draft-age men to flee the country.

The Kremlin has said that no new mobilisation is planned for now, however, and that the idea is to continue to rely on volunteers signing up to fight in Ukraine on lucrative contracts.

(Reporting by Andrew OsbornEditing by Guy Faulconbridge)