Russia to grow army by 50 percent

Russia said Tuesday it will create new command centers around Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Karelia near Europe this year as it expands its army from 1 million to 1.5 million troops. The expansion is in response to the “proxy war” that Russia claims the United States is waging through Ukraine, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russia has not said how it will find recruits, but it has considered raising its draft ages.

What’s happening to Ukrainian civilians? Some Ukrainian citizens report that their loved ones are being held in Russian prisons without being accused of a crime and without being classified as a prisoner of war. Ukraine’s top human rights organization, the Center for Civil Liberties, has requests dealing with about 900 civilians who were captured by Russia since the war began. More than half the civilians are still in custody, according to the group.

Dig deeper: Read Evgeny Kosykh’s report in WORLD Magazine on who’s fighting Russia’s battles.