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December 22, 2022

Russia to Add 500,000 Troops After Putin Admits War in Ukraine Is "Extremely Difficult"
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to expand Russia's army by
a half-million troops and is prepared to give his military "everything
it is asking for." In another sign the Kremlin is preparing for a long
war in Ukraine, Russia's defense minister on Wednesday suggested raising
the maximum age of conscription from 27 to 30. President Putin also made
a rare admission of battlefield defeats, calling the military situation
in four Ukrainian territories recently annexed by Russia "extremely
difficult."


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