Putin's army will grow to 1.5 million soldiers, Germany announced timing of Russia's attack on NATO

In 2029–2030, Putin’s army could attack NATO, which is why it is so important for the Alliance members to provide themselves with weapons today, especially given the growth in the number of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the head of the German Defense Ministry Boris Pistorius, military experts and analysts are closely monitoring the Russian Federation. They acknowledged the fact that Putin's army is only increasing in size every year, the Delfi resource reports . Since 2022, the Russian Federation has been putting serious emphasis on the defense industry. New tanks and aircraft are being produced. Pistorius does not rule out that Putin's army will increase to 1.5 million people by the end of 2026. Military experts say that in 2029-2030 Putin could reorganize his army to create all the preconditions for a possible attack on NATO countries, which is why the West should start arming itself today , this requires finances, but "we are striving for the goal," Pistorius said.
The minister also highlighted ongoing hybrid threats to Germany, including infrastructure attacks, maritime activities, and social media disinformation campaigns. He specifically pointed to Russian attempts to influence German politics through support of certain political parties.
Regarding Germany’s military readiness, Pistorius reported progress with 97 major projects worth €58 billion approved for 2024. However, he acknowledged challenges, noting that equipment deliveries to Ukraine and industrial capacity constraints affect military modernization efforts. Critical military hardware, such as Leopard tanks, requires up to 2.5 years for delivery, while frigates and submarines take 6-8 years.
“Gaps that developed over 30 years cannot be closed within one election cycle,” Pistorius said.
Earlier, German Federal Intelligence Service President Bruno Kahl said that Russia could "carry out an attack” against NATO by the end of the decade. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin “declared his enemy long ago” and that "direct military conflict with NATO is becoming an option for Russia.” Not long ago, the Finnish publication Iltalehti Journal reported that Russia had worked out an attack on Finland. Experts say that Putin will try to reach the borders of the Turku Treaty of 1743, which means that Putin's troops should fight in the area of the Kymijoki River with an eye on Puumalansalmi.