MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a presidential decree to boost the number of servicemen in the Russian Armed Forces by 25,000, according to information published Monday on the official portal for legal acts.

In June, the president set the authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces at 2,399,130 personnel, including 1,510,000 servicemen.

"Due to the establishment of new military construction units within the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, I hereby order amendments to Presidential Decree No. 419 dated June 12, 2026 'On Establishing the Authorized Strength of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation'. Clause 1 shall read as follows: Set the authorized strength of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at 2,426,130 personnel, including 1,535,000 servicemen," the document states.

It is noted that the amendments will enter into force on Aug 1.

Ukraine's attacks kill 86 Russian civilians in nine days

In another development, Kyiv's attacks targeting Russian civilians killed 86 people between July 15 and 24, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

"Between July 15 and 24, 86 people were killed in attacks carried out by Ukrainian forces, including six children; 409 others were wounded, among them 12 children," Zakharova said at a press conference.

The West is actively abetting Kyiv's attacks on civilians, including children, through arms supplies, the spokeswoman told reporters.

According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, more than 240 children have been killed in attacks by Ukrainian forces between 2014 and 2026. Around 1,225 others have sustained injuries of varying degrees.

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"No one on this planet can claim they were unaware of what is happening," Zakharova said. "All of these actions will be met with punishment, which is being enforced both by the Russian Armed Forces and Russian law enforcement agencies"