Russian Armed Forces

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),^[7] and the Special Operations Forces Command.^[8]

The Russian Armed Forces are the world's fifth largest military force, with about one million active-duty personnel and close to two million reservists.^[9] They maintain the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons,^[10] possess the world's second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines,^[11] and are the only armed forces outside the United States and China that operate strategic bombers.^[12] As of 2024, Russia has the world's third-highest military expenditure, at approximately US$149 billion, or over seven percent of GDP,^[3] compared to approximately to US$86.5–$109 billion the year before.^[13]

The Russian military is a hybrid system that combines conscripts with contracted volunteers;^[14] with certain exceptions, Russian law mandates one year of military service for all male citizens aged 18–27.^[1][15] Despite efforts to professionalize its ranks since the early 2000s,^[16] it remains heavily reliant on conscripts, with contract soldiers being concentrated in cadre and elite units. Russia planned to expand its active personnel to 1.5 million by the end of 2024,^[17] which would have made it the second largest active military force after China.^[18][19]

Despite its perceived military strength,^[20] deficiencies have been noted in Russia's overall combat performance and its ability to effectively project hard power.^[21] The ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has exposed weaknesses such as endemic corruption,^[22][23][24] rigid command and control structure,^[25] inadequate training,^[26] and poor morale.^[27] 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.^[28][29][30] Researchers from the U.S.-funded RAND Corporation have observed that Russia continues struggling with military professionalization,^[31] but remains capable of rapidly reconstituting its capabilities.^[32]

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.

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