Putin signs decree to expand army for fourth time this year

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a new decree increasing the size of the country's armed forces. According to the document, the ranks of the Russian military will be expanded by 15,500 troops.

This marks the fourth decree of this kind signed by Putin since the beginning of the year. The repeated decisions to raise troop numbers indicate that Russia's leadership continues to gradually expand the overall size of its armed forces.

News of the decree's signing was reported by news agencies and online sources on Monday. The source material does not specify further details, such as how the additional troop positions will be filled or which specific branches of the military the new personnel will be assigned to.

Russia has been steadily increasing the size of its army for several years, a trend linked to the prolonged war in Ukraine. The frequent signing of decrees raising troop numbers reflects Russia's efforts to maintain and expand its military resources amid the ongoing conflict.