On December 21, Russian President Putin was presented with plans to expand the Russian army by approximately 30% to 1.5 million people. However, it is not clear when this level will be reached.
The British Ministry of Defense reported this on Twitter.
As noted in the summary, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu explained that the expansion will include at least two brigades in northwestern Russia, which will increase in size to a division. He referred to the perceived threat from Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO.
According to British intelligence, this is one of the first insights into how Russia is seeking to adapt its forces to the long-term strategic challenges posed by its invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, the British Ministry of Defense notes that it remains unclear how Russia will find recruits for such an increase, "when its forces are under unprecedented pressure in Ukraine."
Earlier, British intelligence reported that Putin's staged meetings with generals were aimed at removing Putin's responsibility for military failures, high death rates and growing public dissatisfaction with the mobilization.
