Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,[a] commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with 1.15 million and at least two million reserve personnel.[10] According to the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), "Russia plans to expand its active personnel force to 1.5 million by 2026, which will make it the third largest in the world, after China and India."[11] The country has three primary branches of service: the Ground Forces, the Navy, and the Aerospace Forces, as well as two independent arms of service: the Strategic Rocket Forces and Airborne Forces.[12] In addition, the Special Operations Forces Command was established in 2013, with an estimated strength in 2022 of 1,000, possibly with additional supporting staff.[13]
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
1721 (Imperial Russian Army)
7 May 1992
18[1]
12 months[2]
1,320,000 (December Draft)[3] (ranked 4th)
US$86.4 billion (2023)[5]
(ranked 3rd)
4.1% (2023)[5]
US$905 million (2010–2021)[9]
US$74.535 billion (2010–2021)[9]
In 2023, Russia had the world's third-highest military expenditure, allocating a budget of approximately US$86.4 billion to the military.[14][5] The Russian Armed Forces maintain the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons,[15] and possess the world's second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines;[16] they are also one of only three national militaries (alongside those of the United States and China) that operate strategic bombers.[17] With certain exceptions, Russian law mandates one year of military service for all male citizens aged 18–27.[1][18]
In spite of Russia's perceived military strength, as recorded in various assessments, deficiencies have been noted in the country's combat performance on both the tactical and operational scales. According to multiple reports, endemic corruption within the Russian Armed Forces has had a major impact on Russia's ability to effectively project hard power.[19][20][21] Amidst the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, severe logistical failures have greatly impacted the operational performance of Russian troops, as different service branches have struggled to coordinate and work together. Continuous shortcomings have led Russia's war effort to suffer extensive setbacks since the initial invasion; the 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.[22][23][24] Researchers from the US-funded RAND Corporation have observed that Russia continues to struggle with military professionalization.[25]
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.
Armed forces under the Ministry of Defence are divided into:
There are additionally two further separate troop branches, the National Guard and the Border Service. These retain the legal status of "Armed Forces", while falling outside of the jurisdiction of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The National Guard is formed on the basis of the former Internal Troops of Russia. The new structure has been detached from the Ministry of Internal Affairs into a separate agency, directly subordinated to the President of Russia. The Border Service is a paramilitary organization of the Federal Security Service, the country's main internal intelligence agency. Both organizations have significant wartime tasks in addition to their main peacetime activities and operate their own land, air and maritime units.
The number of personnel is specified by decree of the President of Russia. On 1 January 2008, a number of 2,019,629 units, including military of 1,134,800 units, was set.[26] In 2010 the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that the Russian Armed Forces numbered about 1,027,000 active troops and in the region of 2,035,000 reserves (largely ex-conscripts).[27] As opposed to personnel specified by decree, actual personnel numbers on the payroll was reported by the Audit Chamber of Russia as 766,000 in October 2013.[28]
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, between 2005–2009 and 2010–2014, Russian exports of major weapons increased by 37 percent;[29] Russia spent $66.4 billion on arms in 2015,[30] then $69.2 billion in 2016, having taken 3rd place (after the U.S. and China).[31]