Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a> signed a decree on Thursday that will add 137,000 combat personnel to the Russian military, six months after the onset of the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682">Russian invasion of Ukraine</a>.
The <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-orders-increase-russian-armed-forces-ukraine-war-rcna44774">increase</a> will boost the number of Russian combat personnel from roughly 1.01 million to 1.15 million, and raise its total personnel count to 2.04 million. According to the Russian government, the decree will take effect at the beginning of next year.
The troop surge comes in the wake of an <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/24/1119202240/ukraine-russia-war-by-numbers">uncertain</a> number of Russian casualties from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Russian officials have not published casualty numbers since the opening weeks of the war in March, where they reportedly lost 1,351 of their soldiers — independent estimates within Russia report at least 5,000 deaths, but the true figure is likely higher.
<div id="attachment_429156" style="width: 684px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429156" class=" wp-image-429156" src="https://editorial.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="674" height="449" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px" />(Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Hard data on casualties is hard to come by, as both sides are reluctant to share their own losses and eager to inflate enemy losses. Kyiv claims that its forces have killed or wounded more than 45,000 Russian combatants.
In March, Russian officials estimated that their forces had killed 14,000 Ukrainian troops and incapacitated 16,000 more. As recently as Monday, Ukraine <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-signs-decree-increase-size-russian-armed-forces-2022-08-25/">claimed</a> that they had lost 9,000 soldiers over the course of the invasion.
The Russian advance has largely stalled in the last few months, although Russian forces retain control over Crimea, the Donbas region, and much of Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline. Russia has currently occupied roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s pre-war territory, although Ukrainian saboteurs in the annexed Crimean peninsula have successfully attacked Russian military bases and depots deep behind enemy lines, suggesting that Russian control is far from absolute.
Russian officials have begun to acknowledge the lack of recent progress, although they claim it is the result of a deliberate strategy to limit collateral damage in the ongoing war of attrition.
&#8220;Everything is being done to avoid casualties among civilians. Of course, this slows down the pace of the offensive, but we are doing this deliberately,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-08-24/russian-defence-minister-shoigu-military-campaign-in-ukraine-deliberately-slowed-to-reduce-civilian-casualties">told</a> international colleagues at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization during a recent meeting in Uzbekistan.
The UN has documented nearly 5,600 civilian deaths over the course of the war and believes that the true death toll is much higher. Russia has come under fire as international observers allege that it has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2022/08/12/putin-targeting-civilians-ukraine-what-evidence-shows-1729463.html">deliberately attacked</a> civilian targets.

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Putin Boosts Russian Troop Numbers As Invasion Of Ukraine Stalls

CONTINUE READING

Morning Brief: Zelensky & Nato Leaders Attend WH Peace Talks, Meta AI Flirts With Kids, DC Crackdown

Morning Brief: Israel Bombs Iran, The Money Behind L.A. Riots & Sanctuary State Govs Get Grilled

How Ukraine Pulled Off Its Massive Drone Strike Inside Russia

Trump Admin Revokes Visa Of Self-Styled ‘Enemy Of America’

Nearly Two Thirds Of Americans Support Trump’s Deportation Policy: Poll

Ukraine Accepts Partial Ceasefire After ‘Very Good Call’ Between Zelensky And Trump

News

Military

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Putin Boosts Russian Troop Numbers As Invasion Of Ukraine Stalls