Russia boosts the dimensions of its military to 1.5 million energetic personnel
Russia is boosting its army size to 1.5 million active soldiers due to perceived ‘threats’ along its borders, including hostility in the West, the Kremlin announced today.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday boosting the number of active troops by 180,000 to 1.5 million, making the Russian army the second largest in the world by active troop size, according to Russian media – after China, on 2 million.
‘This is caused by the number of threats that exist for our country along the perimeter of our borders,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
‘It is caused by the extremely hostile situation on the western borders and instability on the eastern borders,’ he added.
The increase marks the third time Putin has ordered troop increases since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, and as almost 700,000 troops fight in Ukraine, according to Putin’s estimate in June.
Russian Arctic special forces training to repel the invasion of sabotage groups in the Arctic
Russian servicemen march on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9
Under Putin’s orders, Russia’s army will swell to become the second largest in the world
Putin signed a decree boosting the number of active troops by 180,000 to 1.5 million (File)
Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears during the mortar fire in the direction of Toretsk, August 17
Ukrainian soldiers of the 41st brigade stand in a trench near the frontline in January
Ukrainian soldiers train with members of the UK Armed Forces in the East Midlands, 10 Sep
In the past six weeks, Russia has scrambled troops to halt a Ukrainian cross-border offensive in its Kursk region, and also ramped up its offensive in east Ukraine.
Neither side regularly publishes data on military casualties, but independent estimates point to tens of thousands of dead and wounded on both sides since the conflict began in 2022.
Russia has long complained of threats on its borders, mostly from NATO enlargement.
NATO says it is a defensive alliance and does not seek confrontation with Moscow, arguing Russia’s ‘aggressive behaviour’ towards its neighbours is to blame for rising tensions.
Britain and the United States are expected to discuss next week whether or not Ukraine should be allowed to use long-range missiles within Russia in a bid to deter the invasion and change the tide of the war.
‘It’s important that as allies supporting Ukraine, we have a shared strategy to win going forward,’ Mr Lammy told Laura Kuenssberg on BBC1 on Sunday.
‘We’ve been discussing this with the United States and with other key allies, but of course, we head to the UN general assembly, where we will all meet with in just under 12 days’ time.’
Despite opposition within the United States, it is expected the US will back the plan at the UN general assembly in New York next week.
Keir Starmer and Joe Biden held talks in the Blue Room of the White House on Friday to discuss strategy on how to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, including whether to hand over Storm Shadow missiles to Zelensky.
Disappointingly for both parties, John Kirby, a spokesman for the US national security council, announced afterwards that there would be ‘no change to our policy’ on letting Ukraine use long-range missiles.
Vladimir Putin also warned the West would be at war with Moscow should this change, with many of his air bases and logistics hubs vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks if the restrictions were lifted.
According to US sources, Mr Biden has not yet made a final decision.
But with tensions heating up, Russia insisted it was ‘fully ready’ to resume nuclear testing at an old Soviet site in the Arctic.
Russian troops take part in drills close to the Chechnya border in 2015
Ukrainian servicemen drive Soviet-made T-64 tanks in the Sumy region on August 11
Ukrainian servicemen fire mortars towards Russian positions in the Donetsk region, Ukraine
Storm Shadow missiles are seen attached to the hardpoints of a Eurofighter Typhoon
Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy has been part of intensive UK-U.S. diplomatic talks in Kyiv and Washington in the past week which have so far failed to produce a decision.
The director of the site on the Novaya Zelmlya archipelago insisted that testing facilities are ready and can be used immediately ‘if the order is given’.
Rear Admiral Andrei Sinitsyn said: ‘The test site is ready to resume full-scale testing activities… The laboratory and testing facilities are ready. The personnel are ready.’
Sinitsyn claimed ‘foreign intelligence’ was monitoring the site, ‘likely sign of a concern over nuclear tests’, speaking to the state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
‘We are constantly ready to repel all types of threats, including the penetration of sabotage and reconnaissance groups onto the island,’ he said.
Pressed on whether the site was ready to ‘if necessary, resume nuclear testing’, he said: ‘The testing ground is ready to resume full-scale testing activities. Ready in full.’
If an order is given by Vladimir Putin, a test may still go ahead.
The site has not been used for nuclear testing since October 1990, after which the ailing USSR ruled out future tests, maintained by Russia.
Despite Vladimir Putin’s threats that Western interference – specifically the use of supplied long-range missiles – would be tantamount to direct action against Russia from the UK, former defence officials and an ex-Prime Minister have urged the government to press on with the plan.
Under the Tories, Lord Cameron – then Foreign Secretary – suggested it was up to Ukraine to determine how its missiles were used.
He said in May: ‘In terms of what the Ukrainians do, in our view, it is their decision about how to use these weapons, they’re defending their country, they were illegally invaded by Putin and they must take those steps.
‘We don’t discuss any caveats that we put on on those things. But let’s be absolutely clear, Russia has launched an attack into Ukraine and Ukraine absolutely has the right to strike back at Russia.’
French President Emmanuel Macron even entertained the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine to help defend the country if needed.
Soon after, Russia reopened its counter-offensive in Kharkiv.
The assault was Russia’s biggest gain in 17 months, the Telegraph reported, swallowing up 250sq-km.
Russian troops made it six miles before Ukraine stabilised the situation.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has warned that allowing long-range strikes ‘would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia’
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and David Lammy, Foreign Secretary, speak as they prepare for a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday
Ukrainian servicemen operate a tank on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on August 14, 2024
The Foreign Secretary said talks were continuing with the US and allies about giving Kyiv permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian airbases and military sites which are being used to launch attacks on Ukraine.
The sudden incursion invited the US to concede the restrictions it had placed on only using its supplied weapons on Russian targets within Ukraine.
‘The hallmark of our engagement has been to adapt and adjust as necessary, to meet what’s actually going on on the battlefield, to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, when it needs it,’ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time.
So far, the US has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Soon followed Ukrainian attacks with foreign missiles over the border, drawing outrage from Putin and his cronies – and threats of nuclear annihilation towards Ukraine’s western backers.
Ukraine was able to launch an offensive back into Russia in early August, taking scores of villages in Kursk and Belgorod oblasts.
But momentum has waned in recent days, with Russia mobilising to halt the attack.
