# Putin orders fourth expansion of Russia’s armed forces this year

https://mins.news/en/item/77559

- Meduza, 2026-09-28 18:48 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/28/putin-orders-fourth-expansion-of-russia-s-armed-forces-this-year

> Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved 15,500 additional positions in the armed forces, bringing the authorized total to 2,441,630, including 1,550,500 service members. It is the military’s fourth expansion in seven months; increases in March, June, and July brought the cumulative addition to 52,500 positions.

## Related coverage

- [Why has Putin added 15,500 personnel to Russia’s army?](https://mins.news/en/item/78907) — Al Jazeera, 2026-09-29
- [Putin sets Russian armed forces personnel ceiling at over 2.44 million](https://mins.news/en/item/77713) — TASS, 2026-09-28