Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a significant expansion of the Russian military, increasing the regular size of the army by 180,000 troops to a total of 1.5 million active servicemen.

 This expansion will make the Russian military the second largest in the world, surpassing both the United States and India, and trailing only behind China, which has just over 2 million active duty personnel, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The decree, released on the Kremlin’s website, also raises the overall size of the Russian armed forces to 2.38 million people. This decision marks the third time Putin has ordered an increase in troop numbers since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Russian forces are currently advancing in eastern Ukraine and working to remove Ukrainian troops from Russia’s Kursk region along a vast 1,000 km (627-mile) frontline.

The decree will come into effect on December 1.

Despite Russia's larger population and successful recruitment of volunteers with attractive contracts to fight in Ukraine, the country has been facing significant battlefield losses, similar to Ukraine. Both nations have kept their exact casualty figures confidential.

Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian parliament’s defense committee, explained that the troop increase is part of a broader plan to modernize the armed forces and adapt to the current international situation. He highlighted the need for new military structures and units to address security concerns in north-west Russia, particularly in light of Finland’s recent accession to NATO.