On August 25, Russian dictator Putin signed a decree increasing the number of army personnel by 137 000 from January 1, 2023. Thus, the total number of personnel should reach 1.15 million people.
In response to this, Vedant Patel, the first deputy speaker of the Bureau of International Relations of the State Department, emphasized that Washingtonʼs support for Ukraine remains steadfast despite any external threats.
"Putin decided to conquer another country. And he failed in this goal. Ukraine was not and will not be conquered. It will remain sovereign and independent," Patel noted.
The New York Times writes that Russia has already lost 80 000 soldiers killed and wounded in the war. These losses and the lack of progress on the front give analysts reason to consider the decree to increase the army as a signal that the dictator is not going to retreat.
“This is not the kind of move you make when you expect a quick end to your war. Thatʼs what you do when youʼre making some kind of plan for a protracted conflict,” stated Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation.
Instead, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia is thus trying to avoid general mobilization.
"The announcement of a relatively modest (but likely unachievable) end-force increase target strongly suggests that Putin is determined to avoid full mobilization," the analysts added.
At the same time, the ISW is sure that the Kremlin is unlikely to find the strength and resources to fully implement the decree, but they can use the autumn draft for this.