Putin expands Russian army by 15,500 troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the army's personnel strength by 15,500 soldiers, setting the total at 2,441,630 people, including 1,550,500 military personnel. This marks the fourth troop increase this year, following expansions in March, June, and July. Russia has made limited territorial gains in Ukraine, while Kyiv has accused Moscow of preparing a new mobilization wave, which Putin has denied. Russian military spending is also set to rise to 17.1 trillion rubles for 2027, a 27 percent increase from the original budget. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims Russia has begun additional mobilization and plans to involve more foreigners, citing intelligence on over 8,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia.