Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered another expansion of the country’s armed forces, raising authorized strength to 2,441,630 personnel, including 1,550,500 active service members, according to a decree published on Russia’s official legal database and reported by CNBC (opens in new tab), Euronews (opens in new tab) and Al Jazeera (opens in new tab).

The order adds about 15,500 active troops and is the fourth such increase this year, after earlier decrees in March, June and July. Combined, those moves have added roughly 47,860 military personnel since March, Euronews (opens in new tab) and Al Jazeera (opens in new tab) report. The Kremlin did not publicly state a reason. Analyst Andrei Kortunov told Al Jazeera (opens in new tab) the step looked “mostly a technical decision rather than a strategic shift,” arguing another 15,000 troops alone would not change front-line dynamics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy linked the decree to what he called a broader recruitment push. “In essence, Russia has already begun additional mobilisation,” he said in remarks quoted by Euronews (opens in new tab), adding that Moscow is also seeking more foreign fighters. Zelenskyy said more than 8,000 North Korean troops are already on Russian territory and that “preparations are underway to deploy another 10,000,” according to CNBC (opens in new tab) and Euronews (opens in new tab). He also claimed Russia is supporting production of Shahed-type attack drones in North Korea — a claim reported by CNBC (opens in new tab) that North Korea and Russia have not independently confirmed in the cited coverage.

The decree lands as Russia’s ground advances have slowed and both sides lean harder on drones and long-range strikes. Al Jazeera (opens in new tab), citing Ukrainian military figures it could not independently verify, reported Kyiv’s claim that Russian losses in 2026 had surpassed 300,000. CNBC (opens in new tab) reported that Russian attacks on Kyiv on Monday killed two people and injured 26, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with U.S. attention partly diverted by the war involving Iran, outlets note.

Putin last ordered a partial mobilization of reservists in September 2022; that decree remains in force. He has publicly dismissed fresh mobilization rumors as “utter nonsense,” Euronews (opens in new tab) reports, while independent analysts say contract recruitment incentives have struggled to keep pace with losses. Whether the latest authorized-strength hike foreshadows a formal call-up, deeper North Korean deployments, or longer-term force restructuring aimed partly at NATO and Pacific contingencies remains contested among the analysts quoted by Al Jazeera (opens in new tab).