The Kremlin has warned that an increase in US arms supplies to Ukraine will exacerbate the devastating 10-month war sparked by Russia's invasion, as Russia's defense minister asked Moscow to increase its army by at least 500,000 troops.
Speaking at a meeting with a top military official, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would use the lessons of the conflict to "develop our armed forces and strengthen our troop capabilities." He said that special emphasis would be placed on developing nuclear forces, which he described as "the main guarantee of Russian sovereignty".
Putin also said that the Russian army's new "Sarmat" intercontinental ballistic missile will soon be operational.
Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said that the strengthened Russian army will include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers, of which 521,000 will be recruited by the end of 2023.
Before the start of the fighting in Ukraine, the Russian army had about 400,000 contract soldiers in its 1 million army.
All Russian males between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to serve in the military for one year, but many take advantage of education and medical breaks to avoid military service.
Mr Shoigu said that the age limit for military service would be changed from 21 to 30 years, and conscripts would be offered the option of either undertaking military service for a period of one year or signing a contract with the military as a volunteer.
The Kremlin's plan is to return to a Soviet-era military structure, which Russia abandoned during recent reforms that resulted in the creation of smaller units.