Russian President Vladimir Putin has again raised the size of Russia’s armed forces, even as the war in Ukraine continues at undiminished intensity and attacks on Ukrainian cities go on almost daily.
In a decree signed Monday, Putin set the total strength of the armed forces at 2,441,630 personnel, including about 1.55 million active-duty troops. The figure is roughly 15,500 higher than the previous limit. It follows a similar increase in August, and comes more than four and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, with both sides continuing to suffer heavy losses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is continuing to bolster its ranks with troops from North Korea. He said more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers are currently on Russian territory and preparations are underway to send another 10,000. Ukrainian and South Korean estimates put the number of North Korean soldiers sent to support Russia since 2024 at about 14,000 to 15,000. Most were deployed in the Kursk region, where they took part in operations against Ukrainian forces.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a witness account cited by Reuters. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said missile fragments fell in the courtyard of an apartment building, and a fire broke out at a non-residential building elsewhere in the city.
The strikes followed Russian attacks Monday that killed and wounded dozens of people in various parts of Ukraine.
