Medvedev urged to increase the size of the Russian army to 1.5 million people

The Russian army should become larger, the parameters of its strength have been announced – 1.5 million people, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian media.

“Our army needs to get bigger. And the parameters of its number have been announced – it is at least 1.5 million people,” Medvedev said in an interview, a fragment of which the politician published in your Telegram channel.

In his opinion, in order to “successfully defend” the country, “a mixed army based on both conscription and contract” should operate.

“Certainly, the SVO has influenced, and in the most significant way, since the strength of the army is tested during the period of hostilities,” said the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council.

On December 21, 2022, during an expanded meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Defense, the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, said that the Russian Armed Forces should be increased to 1.5 million military personnel. In addition, he proposed to gradually increase the draft age from 18 to 21 years, and the limit – from 27 to 30 years. From January 1, 2023, according to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin of August 25, 2022, the strength of the RF Armed Forces is 2.04 million people, of which 1.151 million people are military personnel.

The Kremlin recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin “conceptually” supported these changes. The press secretary of the head of state, Dmitry Peskov, specified that the changes announced by Shoigu in the Russian army “will still be concretized.” In particular, this concerns the initiative to increase the draft age. In January Shoigu declaredthat the announced changes in the Russian army will be implemented before 2026.