Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree today, increasing the authorized number of servicemen in the armed forces by 15,500 people, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
The agency notes that this is his fourth decision of this kind this year.
Putin's decree comes at a time when both Russia and Ukraine are suffering increasing losses in the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than four and a half years.
The decree does not give a reason for this increase and does not specify how the new positions will be filled. "The authorized size of the Russian Armed Forces is set at 2,441,630 people, of which 1,550,500 are military personnel", the decree states.
Putin had already signed documents to increase the size of the army in March, June and July of this year. The total increase since March amounts to 47,860 soldiers.
The advance of Russian forces on the battlefield has slowed this year, with the widespread use of drones on the frontline making rapid and massive troop maneuvers almost impossible.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of preparing a new military mobilization, which Putin has described as Ukrainian "disinformation".
The Russian president last ordered the mobilization of reservists in 2022, after a series of Russian military defeats on the battlefield in Ukraine, AFP recalls.