Putin decides to increase army to 1.5 million and strengthen border with Finland

This is reported by Russian media.

"The President of the Russian Federation has decided to increase the number of the Armed Forces to one and a half million servicemen. It is possible to ensure the military security of the state, to protect new subjects and critical facilities of the Russian Federation only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces," the statement reads.

Shoigu said that the increase in the number of troops and "large-scale changes" in the composition of the Russian Armed Forces will be carried out during 2023-2026.

Along with the increase in the number of the army, it is planned to form a new army corps and two military districts on the border with Finland.

• Earlier it was reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed to increase the number of Russian armed forces to 1.5 million people.