russia will highly likely struggle to increase army to 1.5M troops – British intelligence

Russia will highly likely face significant difficulties in recruiting personnel and equipping new military units with weapons and equipment during the planned reorganization of the armed forces, which includes an increase in their number to 1.5 million troops.

The British Defense Ministry said this in its latest Defence Intelligence update.

It is noted that on 17 January 2023, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans for major changes to the structure of the armed forces', to be implemented between 2023 and 2026. This included an increase to 1.5 million personnel – an 11% increase on top of the previously announced expansion to 1.35 million.

Shoigu also announced the re-establishment of Moscow and Leningrad military districts, a partial return to the Soviet era organisation of forces in Western Russia. A new army corps is to be established in Karelia, near the Finnish border.

"Shoigu's plans signal that the Russian leadership highly likely assesses that an enhanced conventional military threat will endure for many years beyond the current Ukraine war. However, Russia will highly likely struggle to staff and equip the planned expansion," the report says.

As reported, from February 24, 2022 to January 22, 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 120,760 Russian invaders, including 600 soldiers over the past day alone.