Russia’s decision to increase the authorized strength of its Armed Forces to 2.44 million personnel is partly linked to lessons learned during the special military operation in Ukraine, according to retired Colonel and military analyst Mikhail Khodarenok.

In an article for Gazeta.ru, Khodarenok said the full details behind such organizational decisions are difficult to assess because military staffing and structural planning are largely closed to the public. At the same time, he argued that measures of this scale are based on experience gained during the ongoing military campaign.

According to the analyst, the Russian Armed Forces face tasks that cannot be addressed without changes to their organizational and staffing structure. These adjustments may involve creating new units as well as revising the authorized strength of formations already in service.

Khodarenok explained that organizational changes in the military generally cover four main areas: establishing new military units and formations, increasing or reducing their authorized personnel, relocating servicemen, and disbanding individual structures when necessary.

On September 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the total authorized strength of the Armed Forces to 2.44 million people. Of that figure, 1.55 million are military personnel. The previous authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces stood at 2.42 million people.