Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree to increase the number of Armed Forces service members to 2,389,130 today, including 1.5 million active personnel (previously, it was 2,209,130 service members of which 1,320,000 were active).
This move will effectively result in Russia surpassing the US and becoming the country with the second-largest standing army in the world.
According to public data, the ranking of countries by active military personnel will look as follows:
1.China, 2.035 million
2.Russia, 1.5 m
3.India, 1.455 m
4.US, 1.328 m
5.Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 1.32 m
In the first half of 2024, according to the data provided by Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, about 190,000 citizens signed contracts with the Defense Ministry.
Western Threats
The West is now discussing lifting the ban on the Ukraine's use of Western long-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia. The issue was supposed to be discussed at a meeting between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but in the end there were no announcements on the subject.
Putin, commenting on these discussions, noted that NATO is discussing not just the possibility of the Ukrainain army using Western long-range weapons, but its direct participation in the conflict.
If the West takes such a step, it will significantly change the essence of the Ukrainian conflict and will mean that NATO members - the US, European countries - are at war with Russia and the latter will make decisions based on the threats it faces, the president concluded.
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The Empire of Chaos is relentless. Lawfare, destabilizations, sanctions, kidnappings, color revolutions, false flags, annexations: 2025 will be the year of BRICS – plus BRICS partners – as choice targets under fire.
Inestimable Prof. Michael Hudson coined “chaos” as official US policy. That’s bipartisan – and it runs across all silos of the Deep State.
In the absence of long-term strategic vision, and amidst the progressive imperial expulsion from Eurasia, all that’s left for the Hegemon is to unleash chaos from West Asia to Europe and parts of Latin America – a concerted attempt to Divide and Rule BRICS and thwart their collective drive affirming sovereignty and the primacy of national ...
While NATO may be yearning to take on Russia in the Arctic, many of its troops lack the necessary expertise for survival in such extreme conditions.
Although NATO forces regularly participate in drills in the region, many remain unprepared for the harsh realities of Arctic life.
Though NATO forces routinely participate in the bloc’s drills in the region, many of them are still not prepared to survive in the Arctic’s harsh conditions, The Sun reports citing Minna Alander, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
"Not all NATO allies have the capabilities that are needed and that work in the Arctic environment and climate,” Alander said.....more below
