| Putin will 2,38 Millionen Menschen im Militär |  |
„Russia has planned the gradual expansion of the Russian military since 2022, and the proposed changes to Russia’s personnel processing system are likely intended to support ongoing efforts to increase the size of the Russian military. Structural problems with Russia's mobilization capacity and bureaucratic ability to process mass quantities of conscripts at one time severely complicated Russia's partial involuntary reserve call-up in September 2022.[4] Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in December 2022 that Russian military leadership planned to significantly expand the Russian military, including plans to increase the size of the Russian Armed Forces and to create new formations.[5] Russian military expansion requires an increase in the number of servicemembers, and Russia is likely pursuing efforts to increase its bureaucratic capacity to process and conscript Russians into military service. Putin ordered the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) to increase Russia‘s military to 2.38 million people in 2025.[6] Putin has signed annual decrees increasing the size of the Russian military by 137,000 in 2022 to 170,000 in 2023 and 180,000 in 2024.[7] The Kremlin has also executed other measures since 2022 to expand the Russian military, including by reopening Soviet-era military academies to rebuild the officer corps, lowering the age of conscription, digitalizing draft summonses, increasing fines for draft dodgers, lowering conscription and volunteer eligibility requirements, and recruiting prisoners and those with health issues.[8]“
[https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-24-2025]