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On March 4, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the number of military personnel in the Russian Armed Forces to 2,391,770, with 1,502,640 designated as active-duty troops. This follows a previous personnel increase in September 2024 when the count was 2,389,130.

The decree aims to maintain military strength without full mobilization amid ongoing military operations in Ukraine, where over 700,000 Russian soldiers are currently deployed. Reports suggest Russia intends to expand its army to 2.5 million by 2030. Recent figures indicate that Russian troop casualties have outnumbered new recruits, highlighting the toll of the conflict.