Putin orders Russian military to add 170,000 troops for a total of about 1.32 million

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to increase the number of troops by nearly 170,000 to a total of 1.32 million — as Moscow’s military action in Ukraine continues into its 22nd month. It is the second such expansion of the army since 2018. In a statement following the decree, Russia’s Defense Ministry said the order doesn’t imply another call-up or any “significant expansion of conscription” into mandatory military service. Instead, the increase in numbers is to be implemented gradually, by recruiting more volunteer contract soldiers. The ministry cited what they call “the special military operation” in Ukraine and the expansion of NATO as the reasons for beefing up the army.