Russia to increase its Armed Forces staffing in 2023

Russian President Putin signed a decree increasing the number of Russian military personnel.

According to the document, the size of the Russian armed forces will be increased by 137,000 to 1,150 million servicemen.

The total staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is set at a level of 2,039 million people.

“To establish the full-time staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the amount of 2,039,758 units, including 1,150,628 servicemen,” the document states.

According to the previous decree, dated November 17, 2017, the size of Russian troops equaled 1,902,758, including 1,013,628 military personnel.

Thus, the current increase includes only military personnel; their direct number in the Russian army will increase by 137,000 people.

The new decree will take effect on January 1, 2023.

The head of the British Ministry of Defense, Ben Wallace, said that during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian losses totaled more than 80,000 military personnel.

This total number of casualties in Ukraine includes eliminated and wounded occupiers, as well as deserters.

“We mainly accept data on Russian losses, which add up to more than 80,000 people from their armed forces, including the dead, wounded, and deserters. That’s 80,000 in six months compared to the 15,000 they lost in ten years in Afghanistan,” Ben Wallace noted.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the total combat losses of the enemy since February 24 approximately amounted to about 45,700 people.

The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Donetsk direction.