Russia's army is now 15% bigger than when it invaded Ukraine
Russia's army is now 15% bigger than when it invaded Ukraine.
"At a hearing with the House Armed Services Committee, US Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, revealed that the army's size has increased by 15 percent since the invasion of Ukraine," Cavoli stated.
"He noted that over the past year, Russia has raised its front-line troop strength from 360,000 to 470,000, with the increase attributed to raising the conscription age from 27 to 30," Cavoli added, explaining that this move has expanded "the pool of available military conscripts by 2 million for years to come."
"In essence, Russia is poised to command the largest military force on the continent," Cavoli said in his opening remarks to Congress.
"Regardless of the war's outcome in Ukraine, Russia will emerge as a larger, more lethal force, and its relations with the West will be more strained than when it invaded," he continued.
Business Insider's request for comment from Russia's defense ministry outside of regular business hours went unanswered.
Cavoli is not the first US official to express concern about the resurgence of Russia.
Last week, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated that Russia has "almost completely" rebuilt its military after suffering significant losses in Ukraine.
Campbell addressed attendees at a dialogue hosted by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank, on April 3, emphasizing that Russia's enhanced capabilities pose a long-term challenge to European stability and threaten NATO allies.
Cavoli and Campbell's warnings about the reinvigorated Russian military come as US support for the war in Ukraine dwindles, with the GOP repeatedly blocking attempts by the Biden administration to provide aid to Ukraine.