The Russian army wants to increase its workforce to 1.5 million soldiers
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his speech to an audience of army officers on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 in Moscow.
© Mikhail Kuravlev/AP
Text by: RFI Follow
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During a meeting with senior army officers on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin promised to continue to develop his military potential and to provide the Russian armed forces with all the necessary means for their operation in Ukraine, in particular by increasing the number of personnel.
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This Wednesday, December 21, the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, considered “
necessary
” to increase the number of soldiers in the army to reach 1.5 million Russian soldiers, in the midst of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
He also proposed raising the age limit for military service, "
to ensure the fulfillment of tasks to ensure the security of Russia
".
In front of the main Russian military officials, President Vladimir Putin expressed his “
agreement
” with these proposals, assuring that these developments would be carried out “
without damage
” for the society and the economy of the country.
Already in August, a presidential decree provided for raising the number of combat personnel to 1.15 million by January 1, 2023.
Strengthen the Russian military arsenal
During this meeting supposed to establish the objectives of the Russian army for the year 2023, the head of the Kremlin reaffirmed his desire to continue to strengthen all his military potential, including the “
combat readiness
” of his nuclear forces.
According to his announcements, the Russian fleet will notably have new Zicron hypersonic cruise missiles from the beginning of January, “
which have no equivalent in the world
”, he assured.
The Russian president also stressed the importance of drones in the conflict with Ukraine.
We will continue to equip our strategic forces with state-of-the-art weapons.
I repeat: all our plans will be carried out, in a certain way.
We will continue to maintain and improve the combat readiness of our nuclear triad.
Vladimir Putin and his announcements to the Russian army
Sergei Shoigu has meanwhile claimed to deploy naval bases to support his fleet in two occupied cities in Ukraine, Mariupol and Berdiansk.
Because it is indeed one of the "
priorities
" stated during this speech: "
to continue to carry out the special operation
[in Ukraine]
until its tasks have all been fulfilled
", as declared by the minister of the defense.
The conflict in Ukraine, a “
common
tragedy
”
After briefly paying tribute to fallen Russian soldiers, Vladimir Putin called the conflict in Ukraine a "
common tragedy
", without however holding himself responsible for its outbreak or its consequences.
According to the president, the country will be able to continue financing its military campaign without difficulty,
despite Western sanctions
.
“
The country and the government give everything the army asks for.
Absolutely everything !
“Launched the Russian leader, who in September decreed
a military mobilization
after strategic setbacks in the conflict.
(
With
AFP)
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Russia
Vladimir Poutine
Ukraine
Defense