Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday expanding Russia's total military personnel to 2.44 million, with active-duty troops increasing to 1.55 million. This expansion, following a similar increase in August, comes as Western intelligence reports Russia is losing 6,000 soldiers monthly more than it can recruit, whilst Ukraine estimates Russia has suffered over 1.5 million troop losses since 2022, including approximately 450,000 deaths. Russian battlefield advances have slowed significantly due to widespread drone deployment making large-scale troop movements difficult.

Ukrainian intelligence has warned that Russia may mobilise an additional 300,000 soldiers and claims the nation's ability to sustain the war could be compromised by 2028 due to mounting troop losses, declining morale and economic strain. Russia currently recruits approximately 1,000–1,200 personnel daily but faces daily casualties often exceeding 1,400 troops, with roughly 60 per cent killed in action. The Kremlin's announcement follows Putin's United Russia party winning a record supermajority in parliamentary elections with 355 of 450 seats, whilst the conflict continues with Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, including a direct hit on Kyiv's National Academy of Sciences.