Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to further militarize Russian society while spreading political responsibility for the war in Ukraine across the country's political establishment and broader population ahead of Russia's parliamentary elections, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
In a speech marking Russia's Navy Day on July 26, Putin stressed the importance of national unity around the war effort, saying Russian society must remain committed to the conflict even after it ends. He described the war in Ukraine as Russia's top priority and claimed that volunteers are eager to continue supporting the military, portraying the Russian public as willing to bear the costs of a prolonged conflict.
The following day, Putin met with State Duma deputies, praising lawmakers for what he described as bipartisan support for the war. He said parliament had passed nearly 3,000 laws over the past five years, with about two-thirds receiving backing from all political factions. According to Putin, many of those measures were aimed at supporting the armed forces, defense industry, economy and the integration of the illegally occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson into Russia.
ISW assesses that Putin is highlighting the role of parliament and ordinary Russians in an effort to deflect personal responsibility for the costly war while presenting it as a nationally shared project ahead of the State Duma elections scheduled for September 2026.
Putin also signed a decree on July 27 increasing the authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces to 2,426,130 personnel, including 1,535,000 military personnel. The move adds 27,000 personnel, including 25,000 service members, compared with the previous decree issued in June.
According to ISW, the latest increase is relatively modest compared with previous years. Russia expanded the authorized size of its armed forces by 137,000 personnel in 2022, 170,000 in 2023 and 180,000 in 2024. Analysts say the continued increases are intended to support Russia's long-term military reforms, including the creation of new military districts, formations and specialized units.
