Russia detailed plans on Tuesday to expand its army to 1.5 million troops in the coming years, a move that comes as Ukraine warns that Moscow may be planning an offensive and heightens tensions between Moscow and the United States and its allies.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the troop surge, which is expected to be complete by 2026, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
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Self-propelled artillery vehicles, tanks and Russian military vehicles drive down Tverskaya Street towards Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. The Kremlin plans to expand its military to 1.5 million troops by 2026, officials said Tuesday.
Russia will also create military districts in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and an army corps will be created in the Republic of Karelia along Russia’s border with Finland, The Wall Street Journal reported. In addition, Moscow will establish “self-sufficient” units in the Russian-controlled territories of Ukraine, Shoigu said.
“Only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces is it possible to guarantee the military security of the state and protect new critical entities and facilities of the Russian Federation,” Shoigu said, according to Reuters.
The announcement comes as Moscow faces battlefield setbacks in neighboring Ukraine. Since its 2022 invasion, Russia has been bogged down in eastern Ukraine despite some territorial gains.
A convoy of pro-Russian troops moves along a highway in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Thursday, April 21.
(Reuters/Chingis Kondarov)
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Russia’s army has about 1 million troops.
Previously, the Kremlin considered the size of its military sufficient, but that changed after fierce Ukrainian resistance dashed hopes of a quick victory over its neighbor.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
