“They will require the adoption of competent decisions”: Shoigu announced large-scale changes in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

The head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu, said that large-scale changes would take place in the country's armed forces in the coming years.

The minister spoke on this topic during a meeting with his deputies and the leadership of the branches and branches of the RF Armed Forces, which took place as part of a working trip to the zone of a special military operation.

In particular, the issue of increasing the number of armed forces to 1.5 million servicemen was discussed.

“Large-scale changes in the composition of the armed forces, an increase in their numbers, a change in the military-administrative division of the Russian Federation, which will be carried out during 2023-2026, will require all deputy defense ministers, commanders-in-chief (types of the Armed Forces. -

) and commanders (troops of military districts , the Northern Fleet and the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces. -

) making appropriate competent decisions, ”said Shoigu.

He added that all measures should be combined into a comprehensive plan to increase the composition and strength of the Armed Forces and synchronized with the construction of infrastructure for the deployment of troops and with the timing of the supply of weapons, equipment and materiel under the state defense order.

The head of the Ministry of Defense recalled that President Vladimir Putin had previously taken the decision to increase the number of armed forces.

As Shoigu noted, only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces is it possible to guarantee the military security of the state, protect new subjects and critical facilities of the country.

In this regard, Shoigu announced the creation of two new interspecific strategic territorial associations (the Moscow and Leningrad military districts), as well as self-sufficient groupings of troops in new Russian regions.

• The Minister of Defense of Russia held a meeting on the issues of increasing the number of the RF Armed Forces

• © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

In addition, it is planned to form an army corps in Karelia, three motorized rifle divisions as part of the ground forces and two air assault divisions in the Airborne Forces.

Seven motorized rifle brigades in the Western, Central, Eastern military districts and in the Northern Fleet will be reorganized into motorized rifle divisions.

Along with this, the minister stated the need to strengthen the combat component of the Navy, the Aerospace Forces and the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation.

Shoigu instructed to pay special attention to recruiting troops with contract servicemen, as well as to supplying the armed forces.

Also mentioned was an increase in the number of training grounds in military districts and on the territories of new subjects, their preparation to ensure the practical actions of the troops, the determination of the volume of training of cadets and students in the universities of the Ministry of Defense, the increase in the volume of training of specialists in the training centers of the Armed Forces in accordance with the increased need for troops.

On Tuesday, January 17, the press secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov also commented on the issue of increasing the number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

He stated that the corresponding need is dictated by the proxy war that the countries of the collective West are waging against Russia.

“A proxy war, which includes elements of indirect participation in hostilities, and elements of economic war, financial war, legal war, going beyond the legal field, and so on,” Peskov said in an interview with reporters.

He noted that the security of the country must be ensured and the Ministry of Defense is fulfilling its role.

Presidential Decree

Recall that on January 1, 2023, the decree of the President of Russia on increasing the staffing of the armed forces came into force.

According to the document signed in August 2022, the staff strength of the RF Armed Forces is set at around 2,039,758 (including civilian specialists), including 1,150,628 military personnel.

Taking into account these changes, the indicator increased by 137 thousand people (7.2%) due to an increase in the number of military personnel.

In the past, the staffing level of the RF Armed Forces was determined by a presidential decree dated November 17, 2017, which came into force in January 2018.

In accordance with this document, the indicator was set at 1,902,758 people, including 1,013,628 military personnel.

The number of military personnel in the armed forces has not changed significantly since December 2008, when it was reduced from 1.13 million to 1 million.