Putin expands Russian military to 2.4 million troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday increasing Russia's armed forces to 2.4 million personnel, including 1.5 million active-duty troops, marking the fourth such order this year. The decree, published on Russia's legal information portal, raises the military ceiling by 15,500 from an August order and instructs the government to allocate federal funds for the expansion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier Monday that Russia has begun additional mobilization and is expanding its use of North Korean troops, with over 8,000 already in Russia and up to 50,000 more planned. The authorized size of Russia's military has grown by 49,860 since March, according to state media TASS, though Kyiv Post has not independently verified these figures. The move follows repeated Ukrainian warnings of a possible autumn mobilization and deepening Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation, while NATO eastern flank members have raised concerns about potential escalation beyond Ukraine's borders.