The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the increase in the number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation by 170 thousand people is due to the growth of threats, including due to the expansion of NATO.
“The increase in the staffing of the Armed Forces is due to the growing threats to our country associated with the conduct of a special military operation and the ongoing expansion of NATO,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“The build-up of the combined armed forces of the alliance near the borders of Russia, the deployment of additional air defense systems and strike weapons is being carried out,” the ministry said.
“The potential of NATO’s tactical nuclear forces is being increased. The United States intends to replace 200 obsolete free-fall nuclear bombs located in Europe and Turkey with a new high-precision version by the end of 2025,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“In the current conditions, an additional build-up of the combat personnel and the number of the Armed Forces is an adequate response to the aggressive activities of the NATO bloc,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
In accordance with the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin of November 29, the maximum number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has been increased by 170 thousand servicemen to 1 million 320 thousand servicemen.
