Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is facing serious difficulties in implementing his plan to increase the number of the armed forces of the Russian Federation by 180 thousand people. According to a summary of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain, which was published on the X network (Twitter), these difficulties are caused by heavy losses in the war against Ukraine and problems with the recruitment of personnel.
On September 16, 2024, Putin signed a decree on the expansion of the Russian army to 1.5 million people, which should take effect from December 2024. This is the third decree that Putin has signed on increasing the number of armed forces since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier, in December 2022, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called for an increase in the number of Russian troops to 1.5 million. However, British intelligence officials believe that Russia is likely to increase the number and size of units in its ground forces to accommodate most of the additional 180,000 personnel.
However, despite these plans, the implementation of the decree may be hampered by continuing losses at the front and problems with recruiting new troops. The British Ministry of Defense notes that the current difficulties in providing the necessary personnel could seriously affect Russia's ability to realize its military ambitions.
