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Russian Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. It is organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent combat arms (the Strategic Rocket Forces and Airborne Forces), and the Special Operations Forces Command. 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. 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." The Russian Armed Forces maintain the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, possess the world's second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines, and are one of only three national militaries (alongside those of the United States and China) that operate strategic bombers. With certain exceptions, Russian law mandates one year of military service for all male citizens aged 18–27. In 2023, Russia had the world's third-highest military expenditure, at approximately US$86.4 billion to US$109 billion, or close to six percent of GDP. 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. Amidst the 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. Researchers from the U.S.-funded RAND Corporation have observed that Russia continues to struggle with military professionalization. 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.