Introduction
How is the Military in Russia and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Ground Forces (SV), Aerospace Forces (VKS), Navy (VMF); separate or independent troop branches include the Airborne Forces (VDV), Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (RVSN; commonly to as Strategic Rocket Forces), Special Operations Forces, and Unmanned Systems Forces
Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (FSVNG, National Guard, Russian Guard, or Rosgvardiya)
Federal Security Services (FSB): Federal Border Guard Service (includes land and maritime forces) (2025).
Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (FSVNG, National Guard, Russian Guard, or Rosgvardiya)
Federal Security Services (FSB): Federal Border Guard Service (includes land and maritime forces) (2025).
In Russia, the Russian military is responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, providing maritime security, and supporting Moscow's national security objectives, including projecting influence and power abroad and deterring perceived external threats; its missions include air, land, maritime, strategic missile, and expeditionary operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; the Russian military's focus is its ongoing war on Ukraine and the perceived threat from NATO and the US
in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, beginning what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russian military forces occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea in 2014, and Moscow subsequently backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the Syrian Government from September 2015 until the collapse of the ASAD regime in December 2024; it was Moscow’s first overseas military expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training; Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2025)
in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, beginning what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russian military forces occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea in 2014, and Moscow subsequently backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the Syrian Government from September 2015 until the collapse of the ASAD regime in December 2024; it was Moscow’s first overseas military expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training; Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2025)
Security and military information of Russia
| Military and security service personnel strengths | estimated 1.1-1.2 million active Armed Forces; estimated 350,000 Federal National Guard Troops (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Russian Federation's military and paramilitary services are equipped with domestically produced weapons systems, although in recent years Russia has imported considerable amounts of military hardware from external suppliers such as Iran and North Korea; the Russian defense industry is capable of designing, developing, and producing a full range of advanced air, land, missile, and naval systems; Russia is the world's second largest exporter of military hardware (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-30 years of age for compulsory service for men; 18-40 for voluntary/contractual service; women and non-Russian citizens (18-30) may volunteer; 12-month service obligation (Russia offers the option of serving on a 24-month contract instead of completing a 12-month conscription period) (2024). note 1: in 2022, Russia's parliament approved a law removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the military; also in 2022, President Vladimir PUTIN signed a decree allowing dual-national Russians and those with permanent residency status in foreign countries to be drafted into the army for military service note 2: historically, the Russian military has taken in about 260,000 conscripts each year in two semi-annual drafts (Spring and Fall) note 3: prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, approximately 40-45,000 women served in the Russian Armed Forces note 4: since 2015, foreigners 18-30 with a good command of Russian have been allowed to join the military on five-year contracts and become eligible for Russian citizenship after serving three years; in October 2022, the Interior Ministry opened up recruitment centers for foreigners to sign a one-year service contract with the armed forces, other troops, or military formations participating in the invasion of Ukraine with the promise of simplifying the process of obtaining Russian citizenship |
| Military deployments | estimated 600,000 in Ukraine; more than 20,000 additional military personnel deployed in former Soviet states and elsewhere, including Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Moldova, Syria, sub-Saharan Africa, and Tajikistan (2025). note: Russia is also assessed to have thousands of paramilitary security personnel and private military contractors deployed in Africa, including in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Niger, and Sudan |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2024 | 7% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2023 | 5% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2022 | 4.5% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 4% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 4% of GDP (2020 est.) |
Terrorism
In Russia, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
All Important Facts about Russia
Want to know more about Russia? Check all different factbooks for Russia below.
