Putin signs decree to increase Russian army size by 7,360 troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved an official document that increases the personnel strength of the country's armed forces. According to information from the Russian Ministry of Defense and the RBC news agency, the new decree sets the total army headcount at 2,399,130 people, of which 1,510,000 are military personnel. This is 7,360 more than in the previous decree, which was signed on March 4, 2026, when the number of servicemen was 1,502,640. Additionally, during a meeting with Russian soldiers, Putin stated that over 700,000 personnel are involved in the war against Ukraine. He also said that the occupiers would intensify strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure to "discourage" attacks on Russian targets.