Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday to increase the number of troops in the Russian armed forces.
According to the decree published on the Kremlin website, the headcount of the Russian Armed Forces will total 2,209,130 units, including 1,320,000 servicemen. The increase will be carried out in stages, and it occurs, according to the government, due to the growth of "threats" and "NATO's expansion."
"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 underway," the ministry said.