Putin expands army as Zelenskyy says Russia launched new mobilization

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the Russian army's personnel strength by 15,500 soldiers, setting the total at 2,441,630 people, including 1,550,500 military personnel. No reason was given for the expansion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has begun an additional mobilization, citing intelligence reports, and plans to increasingly involve foreigners. He also reported over 8,000 North Korean soldiers currently in Russia, with preparations for 10,000 more. Russia plans to raise military spending to 17.1 trillion rubles (about 178 billion euros) next year, a 27 percent increase from the original budget. The government doubled its 2026 deficit forecast to 3.2 percent of GDP and plans tax increases in 2027 to finance the shortfall.