Military forces of the Russian Federation
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation ,[ a] commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces , are the military of Russia . They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces , Navy , and Aerospace Forces —two independent combat arms (the Strategic Rocket Forces and Airborne Forces ),[ 11] and the Special Operations Forces Command .[ 12]
The Russian Armed Forces are the world's fifth largest military force , with 1.15 million active-duty personnel and close to two million reservists .[ 13] They maintain the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons ,[ 14] possess the world's second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines ,[ 15] and are the only armed forces outside the United States and China that operate strategic bombers .[ 16] As of 2024, Russia has the world's third-highest military expenditure , at approximately US$130 billion, or over six percent of GDP,[ 5] compared to approximately to US$86.5–$109 billion the year before.[ 17] Its military budget is set to expand by 30 percent, to US$145 billion, in 2025.[ 18]
The Russian military is a hybrid system that combines conscripts with contracted volunteers ;[ 19] with certain exceptions, Russian law mandates one year of military service for all male citizens aged 18–27.[ 1] [ 20] Despite efforts to professionalize its ranks since the early 2000s,[ 21] it remains heavily reliant on conscripts, with contract soldiers being concentrated in cadre and elite units . Russia plans to expand its active personnel to 1.5 million by the end of 2024,[ 22] which will make it the second largest active military force after China.[ 23] [ 24]
Despite its perceived military strength,[ 25] deficiencies have been noted in Russia's overall combat performance and its ability to effectively project hard power .[ 26] The ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has exposed weaknesses such as endemic corruption ,[ 27] [ 28] [ 29] rigid command and control structure , inadequate training, and poor morale;[ 30] Russian Armed Forces have experienced successive losses of occupied/annexed territory , the large-scale destruction and squandering of their equipment, and a notably high casualty rate.[ 31] [ 32] [ 33] Researchers from the U.S.-funded RAND Corporation have observed that Russia continues struggling with military professionalization,[ 34] but remains capable of rapidly reconstituting its capabilities.[ 35]
Directly controlled by the Security Council of Russia , the Russian Armed Forces form part of the country's defence services under Russian law, fulfilling this capacity alongside the Border Guard of the Federal Security Service , the National Guard , the Ministry of Internal Affairs , the Federal Protective Service , the Foreign Intelligence Service , and the Ministry of Emergency Situations .
^ a b О воинской обязанности и военной службе [About military duty and military service] (Federal Law 53-FZ) (in Russian). State Duma . 28 March 1998. "Законодательство России. Расширенный поиск" . Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2022 ."Законодательство России. Расширенный поиск" . Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2022 .
^ Masters, Jonathan (28 September 2015). "The Russian Military" . Council on Foreign Relations . Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017 .
^ Barros, George; Mappes, Grace; Harward, Christina; Hird, Karolina; Zehrung, Haley; Gasparyan, Davit; Ganzeveld, Annika (16 September 2024). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 16, 2024" . Institute for the Study of War . Retrieved 21 September 2024 .
^ a b c "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2022" (PDF) . Stockholm International Peace Research Institute . April 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023 .
^ "The War Trade: How Italy Sold Armoured Vehicles To Russia + Their Deployment With Syrian Army Militias" . bellingcat . 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ Korolkov, Alexander (25 January 2016). "Russia continues to buy Iveco LMV armored cars from Italy" . Russia Beyond . Archived from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2022 .
^ "Russia's use of Iranian drones shows up domestic weakness" . France 24 . 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022 .
^ "North Korean weapons extending Russian stockpiles, German general says" . Reuters . 9 September 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024 .{{cite web }}
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^ a b "TIV of arms imports/exports from Russia, 2010-2021" . Stockholm International Peace Research Institute . 7 February 2022. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023 .
^ "Russia" . Central Intelligence Agency. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2022 – via CIA.gov.
^ IISS, The Military Balance 2022, 201.
^ Nichol, Jim (21 December 2022). "Russian military announces plan to expand, create new units" . The Associated Press . Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022 . Russia expands active personnel to 1.5 million from 1.15 forces
^ "Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance" . Arms Control Association . August 2020. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2021 .
^ "Ballistic missile submarines data" . Asia Power Index . Lowy Institute . 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022 .
^ Paul, T. V.; Wirtz, James J.; Fortmann, Michael (2004). Balance of power: theory and practice in the 21st century . Stanford University Press . p. 332. ISBN 978-0-8047-5017-2 . Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2021 .
^ Tian, Nan; Fleurant, Aude; Kuimova, Alexandra; Wezeman, Pieter D.; Wezeman, Siemon T. (26 April 2021). "Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2020" (PDF) . Stockholm International Peace Research Institute . Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021 .
^ "Russia plans to boost defence spending by a quarter for 2025" . France 24 . 30 September 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024 .
^ "Institute for the Study of War" . Institute for the Study of War . Retrieved 9 November 2024 .
^ Cite error: The named reference cia
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^ Russian Military Personnel Policy and Proficiency: Reforms and Trends, 1991–2021 ; Anika Binnendijk, Dara Massicot, Anthony Atler, John J. Drennan, Khrystyna Holynska, Katya Migacheva, Marek N. Posard, Yuliya Shokh; published Aug 15, 2023.
^ Atlamazoglou, Stavros (19 September 2024). "Russia's Military Will Soon Have 1.5 Million Troops" . The National Interest . Retrieved 9 November 2024 .
^ "Russia" . Central Intelligence Agency. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2022 – via CIA.gov.
^ "Putin orders Russian army to expand to become the world's second largest" . NBC News . 17 September 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024 .
^ "Understanding the Russian Military Today | Russia and Eurasia | CSIS" . www.csis.org . Retrieved 9 November 2024 .
^ Russian Military Performance and Outlook Congressional Research Services. Updated October 10, 2024.
^ " "Вывозили на КАМАЗе". Как российские солдаты и офицеры воровали у армии трусы, берцы и бронежилеты" . BBC News Русская служба (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022 .
^ Kovalev, Alexey (19 October 2022). "As War Hits the Homefront, Russia's Defeat Inches Closer" . Foreign Policy . Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022 .
^ " 'The army has nothing': new Russian conscripts bemoan lack of supplies" . the Guardian . 20 October 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2022 .
^ Russian Military Performance and Outlook Congressional Research Service. Updated October 10, 2024.
^ Sonne, Paul; Lamothe, Dan; Ilyushina, Mary (13 September 2022). "Rapid loss of territory in Ukraine reveals spent Russian military" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022 .
^ "The woes of the Russian war machine are big and real. Are they also temporary?" . The Economist . 28 February 2022. ISSN 0013-0613 . Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022 .
^ "The Russian Military's Debacle in Ukraine" . The New Yorker . 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022 .
^ Posard, Marek N.; Holynska, Khrystyna (21 March 2022). "Russia has a military professionalism problem, and it is costing them in Ukraine" . Breaking Defense . Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022 .
^ Grisé, Michelle (5 July 2024). Russia's Speedy Military Rebuild Doesn't Tell the Whole Story (Report).
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