Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to increase the size of Russia's armed forces by 180,000 soldiers, raising the total troop strength to 1.5 million.
Putin ordered an increase in the total personnel, including civilian staff, of the Russian army to 2.38 million people, according to the decree published on the Kremlin website on Monday.
The move would make Russia's army the second-largest in the world - second only to China's 2 million-strong forces - and surpassing the US and India, according to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The order, which takes force Dec 1, is part of Russia's broader military expansion plan that includes modernizing the armed forces and increasing combat readiness.
The development marks the third time Putin has ordered the expansion of the military's headcount since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
