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Putin Boosts Troops, Defence Spending Amid Ukraine War Casualties
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News18•30-09-2026, 17:08
Putin Boosts Troops, Defence Spending Amid Ukraine War Casualties
- •Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to add 15,500 troops to the Russian army, marking the fourth military expansion in 2026 alone, increasing personnel by 47,860 since March.
- •The decree sets the total authorized personnel strength of the Russian armed forces at 2,441,630, including 1,550,500 active military personnel.
- •International observers link the expansion to heavy battlefield casualties and stalling military advances in Ukraine, with independent estimates suggesting Ukraine inflicts 27,000 to 50,000 Russian casualties monthly.
- •Russia plans to increase its defence spending to 17.1 trillion roubles ($202.58 billion) for 2027, a 27% hike from original targets, making it the highest military budget allocation since the 2022 invasion.
- •To fund this surge, the Kremlin will cut funding for state pensions, veteran benefits, maternity payments, healthcare, education, and the national economy, while implementing new tax hikes.
Key Questions Answered
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree adding 15,500 military personnel to the Russian army, bringing the total authorized active personnel to 1,550,500 within a total armed forces strength of 2,441,630.
Russia plans to increase its defense spending to 17.1 trillion roubles, which equates to $202.58 billion, for the year 2027.
To finance the surge in war spending, funding for state pensions, war veteran benefits, and maternity payments will be cut by 7%, while healthcare and education budgets will drop by 6.8% and 6% respectively.
