Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Wednesday unveiled a plan to increase the size of Russia’s military to 1.5 million troops, an initiative backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia had about 1 million troops in its army at the beginning of the year, and the number was supposed to reach 1.15 million next year, but Shoigu said a further increase is needed to “guarantee the fulfillment of tasks to ensure Russia’s security.”
One reason for the increase that Shoigu cited was Sweden and Finland’s potential NATO membership. He said if the two Nordic nations joined the Western military alliance, Russia would have to deploy “the corresponding group of forces” to northwestern Russia.
Putin and other Russian officials have previously said that he doesn’t view Finland and Sweden joining NATO as much of a threat as Ukraine’s prospective membership, but they said Moscow would respond to the expansion of NATO military infrastructure. Finland has an over 800-mile border with Russia, an area that will likely be reinforced by Moscow if Helsinki is admitted into NATO.
Back in September, Putin ordered the mobilization of 300,000 fresh troops for his war effort in Ukraine, and Russia has been reinforcing its positions along the frontlines in Ukraine. Another mobilization is possible, but at this point, there’s no sign Putin hasn’t made a decision to call up more troops, and Russian officials say the current numbers are sufficient.
If NATO expansion with Finland can tie down 500,000 Russian troops it will be worth it.
It can’t.
The one brigade on that border has already supplied two of its component battalion groups to the Ukraine fighting, damage to which was highlighted in the WaPo this week.
Ok, than why is Russia planning to increase the size of their army once Finland joins NATO?
Finland might never join NATO.
That is possible because the deal is not done. But not likely.
Because once in NATO US Military bases will be installed with Nukes pointing at Moscow ect ect , FFS , have yuo ever done any research on Geo politics or how the US want a one world government with the US writing all the rules for everyone else to follow ?.
“have yuo (sic) ever done any research on Geo politics” More than you I bet. But please enlighten me and quote creditable research proving you position on the desire of the US government “one world view”.
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All its going to tie down is one or two tactical nukes of the Russian Army.
I use to play Axis & Allies board game, and one thing that always beat the western Axis powers was cheap mass purchase of infantry against aircraft and tanks.
How did that model apply to Russia in Ukraine?
It’s called 3:1 ratio. infantry sacrifice for every thank and air plane unit they use to push forward. Ukraine is burning thru more tanks and artillery right now and they are heavily dependent on US and NATO armaments. In a bum rush move, and even encircling those units, Ukraine can’t just replenish them fast enough.
Care to support this 3:1 infantry sacrifice ratio with some real articles? Please site, them I would like to read them.
The board game you are looking for is by Milton Bradley, not Avalon Hill. Although, I also enjoyed playing Hitler’s War.
Well in real life, those “cheap” infantry are going do die in large numbers.
Those cheaper back-home warmongers are going to die in large numbers in an all-out war, too.
Along with you. That is why Putin has to be stopped now before he decides he can directly defeat NATO is a nuclear war.
You are not a man of history. Because that’s exactly how they took Berlin which was heavily fortified.
“Berlin which was heavily fortified” I strongly suggest you read Cornelious Ryan’s book “The Last Battle” before you made that statement. And I also suggest you read James Dunnigan book “How to make war” to get a feel for real life warfare, not an Analon Hill game.
First of all Kenny, its Avalon Hill. Second, I was referring to really account of the Battle of Berlin not some board game. After, heavily bombardment by the western Allies, only Russians had the balls to move in more than 300 thousand troops into the city to capture the Reichstag, and socked most of the causality while the western allies were eating French cheese in liberated Paris. Lastly, your book reference isn’t the holy bible or the true account. Soviet Union especially didn’t care for the narrative this author portrayed about the “Last Battle”. Thanks for playing.
I believe there will be a world war III because we don’t seem to have learned anything from the first two world wars…NATO should put a plug in it…
The people who were around for those wars are just about all gone. The present cast of characters have never experienced that kind of conflict but may find out in the not too distant future how devastating total war can be.
Brave New world indeed….
Russia increasing the size of its Army? Dare any Putin Lover here say anything negative about it in the name of antiwar.
“Shoigu said if the two Nordic nations joined the Western military alliance, Russia would have to deploy “the corresponding group of forces” to northwestern Russia.”
Why? Are these two Nordic nations planning an invasion of Russia?
Way to keep the Russia people thinking NATO will one day come and take their kids.
And so they never had 1.5 Million soldiers and 2 Million in Reserve?
If they going to put it on paper might as well round it up to 5 million strong. That may scare somebody.
In their “national security interests” as NATO was arrayed on their borders or near borders, BEFORE they stopped Zelensky “killing his own people.”
Poland is mobilizing. It has made a mass call up of double its peacetime army.
This is “temporary” meaning it is now said to be for 90 days. Right, the American Civil War started out with 90 day enlistments for the same reasons.
What matters is the BOTH Russia and NATO are seeing mass mobilization of the sort that has not happened since 1939. Never in the Cold War did this happen.
Well, if Russia does not attack Ukraine, this mass mobilization does not happen.
Well if the US had not planned, funded and helped carry out the violent coup against the democratically elected (including Donbas/Crimea) government in 2014, none of this would be happening. If the expansion of NATO had not begun with co-Clinton presidency none of this would be happening. And, if the US/NATO had not commanded Zelensky to NOT NEGOTIATE early on in 2021, none of this would be happening.
Sure blame the US for Russian aggression in Ukraine. The bottom line is that Russia invaded Ukraine in February and that is when all this war mobilization started. You can excuse Russian aggression all you want but you have to agree none of this mobilization was happening before February 24. And by the way, Finland was not interested in joining NATO either before that date. These are facts.
“Sure blame the US for Russian aggression in Ukraine. The bottom line is that Russia invaded Ukraine in February and that is when all this war mobilization started.”
Yes, once again everything started in February. So why keep repeating the same thing? Trying to convince yourself that the other “facts” of the previous 30 years didn’t exist? They did and they are real.
No I never said everything started in February. But this dangerous phase did. You keep trying to justified Russia invasion based on your view of the past 30 years as seen by your pro Russian stance. Sorry if I don’t buy your pro-Russian anti-American view of the world.
You just ignore everything before February. Whether I’m pro-Russia, which I’m not, that doesn’t change history. I’ve gone over and over about the provocations towards Russia by the west since the cold war ended, as have many other commenters here, but all you come back with is the bulsh*t “pro-Russia/anti-US view of the world” standard reply. Even after admitting that you were anti-US during the Vietnam and Iraq war, and rightfully so, you continue to rile on those who oppose our belligerence worldwide. You seem to believe that part of our history but just disregard what happened since 1991 to fit your narrative.
If you had been paying attention since 1991, you would realize that through the Bush, Clinton, Obama, and, yes Trump administrations things were headed to where we are today. By the way, Russia wanted to negotiate one year ago, and were in the process of negotiating in April, 2022 until Boris showed up.George Kennan warned us. Kissinger is reasonably advocating a resolution to end the war now.
“If you had been paying attention since 1991” Why is it that you Russian supporters like to base everything on what happen since 1991? Did history start with the break up of the USSR? Blame everything on the USA? Russia decides to kill civilians because their military has failed and it the USA fault.
Or stopping the negotiations in April 2022. The damage would have been minimal and a whole bunch of people would still be alive.
It just keeps getting better and better. Belarus also appears to be mobilizing.
It’s possible that Russia only wants to keep a large number of Ukraine forces on the western side of Ukraine while the battles are waged on the east side of Ukraine. But it’s also possible that Russia intends to stop the flow of armaments that are coming from into Ukraine from Poland.
“But it’s also possible that Russia intends to stop the flow of armaments that are coming from into Ukraine from Poland.” Please tell me how they would accomplish that.