A new Kremlin decree, reported by The Guardian, raises Russia's active-duty force by 15,500 personnel as part of a total armed forces target of 2.44 million. Zelenskyy stated that roughly 8,000 North Korean troops are already in Russia, with another 10,000 preparing to arrive.
Russia is admitting something here. The decree signals to its own system that manpower shortages are real and the war will drag on through 2026. North Korean soldiers reduce domestic conscription pressure while keeping offensive operations going. For Ukraine, the message is clear: Russia is betting on attrition, not negotiation.
The headline number—15,500 more troops—is less important than what it admits. Moscow keeps publishing these decrees because the war is eating manpower faster than it can replace it. North Korean soldiers are a symptom, not a solution. If you want to know whether Russia expects this to end soon, this is your answer: no.
Filed to the World desk · Sep 29