Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country’s military to increase its number of troops by 180,000 to a total of 1.5 million, as Moscow’s military action in Ukraine drags on for more than 2 ½ years.

The Russian president said Western support for Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia would put his country and NATO “at war.”

Vladimir Putin has insisted that Ukraine accept the loss of the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea as a precondition for peace talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned NATO alliance leaders that a move to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range Western missiles to strike deep inside his country would be considered an act of war.

The Russian military has suffered significant losses in the Ukraine war, with casualties exceeding 630,000 troops. Despite an impressive force generation capability over 940 days of fighting, Russia is struggling to replenish its ranks.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sept. 17, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi acknowledged that Ruth previously publicly expressed support for Ukraine’s cause. At the same time, the spokesperson stated there is no evidence to suggest that Kyiv inspired Ruth to engage in criminal political violence.