Russian Armed Forces to increase manpower to 1.9 mln personnel

The Russian Armed Forces have been ordered by the country's President Vladimir Putin to expand its manpower to nearly two million by midyear, over a million of them service members, a decree published on the government online portal of legal information states.

"Establish the manpower of the Russian Armed Forces: from January 1, 2017, numbering 1,897,694 units, including 1,013,628 servicemen; from July 1, 2017, numbering 1,903,051 units, including 1,013,628 servicemen," the decree reads.

The previous decree established an 1.88-million-strong Russian Armed Forces with 1 million service members.