Russia recently announced its intention to increase its armed forces by another 350,000 soldiers to a total of 1.5 million personnel. In justification of this move, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the “military security of the nation,” as well as of the “new subjects” — as he called the illegally annexed Ukrainian territories — and the country’s “critical infrastructure” could only be secured “if the most crucial components of the armed forces are reinforced.”
According to Shoigu, the reform will begin this year and conclude in 2026. Its aim is threefold: to restore the former military districts of Moscow and Leningrad (today’s St. Petersburg), create new troop formations in the illegally occupied zones in Ukraine, and establish 12 new mobile units.
