Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an order to expand the country's military forces by an additional 170,000 troops, bringing the total count to approximately 1.32 million personnel. This decision comes as Moscow's military involvement in Ukraine extends into its 22nd month.

The decree, released by the Kremlin on Friday, took immediate effect, elevating the overall number of Russian military personnel to around 2.2 million, inclusive of 1.32 million troops.

This marks the second augmentation of the army since 2018. Previously, in August 2022, Putin had ordered an increase of 137,000 troops, resulting in a total of about 2 million personnel, including roughly 1,150,000 troops.

The Defense Ministry clarified that the directive does not signify a substantial expansion of conscription. Instead, they stated in a release that the rise would occur gradually through the recruitment of more volunteers. The ministry attributed the bolstering of the army to what it termed as "the special military operation" in Ukraine and the expansion of NATO.

Citing the buildup of NATO's combined armed forces near Russia's borders and the deployment of additional air defense systems and offensive weapons, the ministry highlighted the escalating potential of NATO's tactical nuclear forces in their statement.

The ministry defended the increase in Russian troops as a fitting response to "the aggressive activities of the NATO bloc."

Russia withdraws From 2025 World Expo scheduled to be held in Osaka, Japan

Sri Lanka Introduces Free Tourist Visas for Visitors from India and Six Other Countries