March 25, 2024 (EIRNS)—Russia will be significantly expanding its military forces in the northwest of the country. On March 20, in an opening address to a meeting of the Defense Ministry Board, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that, following orders issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces are significantly expanding their combat power. Already an army corps, a motorized rifle division, the Dnieper River Flotilla, and a riverboat brigade have been formed. “By the end of the year, the Russian Armed Forces plan to form two combined-arms armies and thirty formations, including fourteen divisions and sixteen brigades,” he said. “The Russian Armed Forces continue to improve combat training and increase the number of military personnel to address emerging threats to the country’s military security.”