About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (March 8, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveonu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing th legis19tive dbate sin co 1914 Russian Military Performance and Outlook March 8, 2024 Despite advantages of a larger recruitment base and defense industrial capacity, the Russian military has been unable to decisively defeat the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Russian military has suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment. Its performance arguably has been hindered by a rigid command and control structure, a weakened corps of trained and professional units, and a reliance on tactics with high casualty rates. The Russian military, however, remains a resilient and capable adversary. Since 2022, Congress has supported Ukraine's defense against Russia's renewed invasion. In November 2023 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien assessed, Ukrainian forces have used Western weapons to great effect against Russian forces: Ukraine has liberated a significant part of its territory initially seized by Russia. It destroyed thousands of Russian tanks and combat vehicles as well as hundreds of aircraft, and Russia has suffered a significant loss of combat power. Nevertheless, the Russian military continues to launch offensive operations and, in February 2024, captured the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka. Members may consider the Russian military's condition and performance as they evaluate the state of the war, assess the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions, and debate whether to appropriate additional military assistance for Ukraine. Command and Control Despite attempted reforms to increase lower-level leadership and autonomy, the Russian military arguably continues to operate with a Soviet-style centralized command. This command style at the tactical level often has contributed to the types of inflexible operations that contributed to previous failures and casualties. Some observers argue that Russia's leadership prioritizes the perceived political loyalty of officers over their battlefield effectiveness, particularly since the June 2023 Wagner Group mutiny, in which a Russian private military company engaged in armed revolt against Russia's military leadership. Multiple Russian military leaders, including some reported to be among the most competent, have been relieved of command, apparently for perceived criticism of, or insufficient loyalty to, Russian political leaders. Nevertheless, the Russian military leadership remains a cohesive force. It has gradually consolidated various semi- independent security force units and organizations fighting for Russia and brought them under its central command. Additionally, the Russian military leadership has proven capable of adaptation and of implementing changes in force structure, operations, and equipment since the 2022 invasion. Observers continue to debate the speed and breadth of these changes, as reforms in some cases appear isolated to addressing specific problems or implemented after extended debate that leads to delays. Personnel In January 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia had over 600,000 personnel in Ukraine, while some observers estimate the number at 470,000 forces. Continued casualties and challenges fielding well-trained troops have hindered, but not stopped, Russian military operations. Casualties U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly estimated in December 2023 that the Russian military had suffered 315,000 killed and injured. The rates arguably reflect the continued use of tactics that resulted in high casualty rates in the past. These tactics include a reliance on massed personnel attacks, indiscriminate artillery fire, and limited tactical-level flexibility. Casualty totals likely include mobilized personnel, volunteers, National Guard, recruited prison convicts, and personnel from Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions. Overall, the casualties represent 87% of Russia's estimated pre-war ground strength of about 360,000 personnel. The loss of experienced soldiers has been particularly detrimental to the effectiveness and capability of the Russian military. Many of Russia's casualties have been among elite and professional soldiers, as well as the junior officer corps. New recruits often have less training than those they are replacing, exacerbating the impact of the losses and apparently eroding the effectiveness of some Russian military units. Some observers say the loss of such experienced troops will have a long-term detrimental effect on Russian military capabilities. Recruitment and Mobilization To replenish the Russian military's ranks, President Putin has increased the military's official size to 1.32 million. Russian authorities announced a mobilization of 300,000 personnel in September 2022 but have yet to announce another large-scale mobilization, likely due at least in part to domestic political considerations. There are some indications of growing dissent, including public protests by the families of mobilized personnel. Some observers posit that Putin is unlikely to announce another mobilization until after the scheduled March 2024 Russian presidential elections.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most