President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to increase by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million soldiers, the third time he has expanded its ranks since sending the military into Ukraine in February 2022.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said that in 2023, the Russian Armed Forces received approximately 140,000 drones of various types and that production is planned to increase tenfold this year. Source: Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission on the development of unmanned aerial systems for special purposes,

Putin argued that the attack didn't divert Russia from a more important mission — gaining ground in eastern Ukraine.