Putin Expands Russian Army by 15,500 Troops, Raises 2027 Defence Spending to $202.58 Billion

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday ordering a boost of 15,500 troops to the Russian army, marking the fourth military expansion in 2026 and raising the authorized personnel cap to 2,441,630, including 1,550,500 active military personnel. The move comes amid rising casualties on both sides, with independent estimates indicating Ukraine inflicts roughly 27,000 to 50,000 Russian casualties monthly, while Ukrainian drone deployments have slowed Russian advances and enabled localized breakthroughs. On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated intelligence indicated North Korea was preparing to send 10,000 more soldiers to aid Russia. Russia also plans to increase defence spending to 17.1 trillion roubles ($202.58 billion) for 2027, a 27% hike from original targets and the highest since the 2022 invasion, consuming at least 35% of projected state expenditures. To fund this, the Kremlin is cutting pensions, veteran benefits, maternity payments by 7%, healthcare and education budgets by 6.8% and 6%, and implementing new tax hikes.