Moscow: In an effort to strengthen its military, which has suffered from the loss of many soldiers in the conflict in Ukraine, Russia on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious plan to increase its military's size from 1 million to 1.5 million and establish a number of new units.
The military head of Russia attributed the buildup to NATO's intentions to include Finland and Sweden. Here's a quick look at Moscow's military strategies.
According to Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, the nation needs a 1.5 million-strong force "to guarantee the completion of missions to safeguard Russia's security."
There are currently 1 million soldiers in the Russian military, compared to 2 million in China and 1.4 million in the US. More than 1.4 million soldiers serve in India.
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The Kremlin had previously thought the size of its military to be adequate, but once dreams for an immediate victory over its neighbour were dashed by intense Ukrainian opposition, the arithmetic changed.
Both Russia and Ukraine have tightly guarded the details of their military fatalities throughout the conflict. The last time the Russian military disclosed its combat casualties was in September, when it stated that 5,937 soldiers had died, but Western estimates were significantly higher. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace earlier this week said that 100,000 Russian soldiers have died, been injured, or deserted during the invasion.
Putin issued an order in August to expand the Russian military to 1.15 million members starting on January 1. Additionally, he gave the order to call up 300,000 reservists in September to bolster his forces in Ukraine.
Putin claimed there was no need to gather more, but because his mobilisation order is open-ended, the military is free to call up more reservists as needed. Putin's order forbade volunteer soldiers from terminating their service agreements.
In addition to the ordinary draught, which summons up 120,000 to 140,000 men twice a year for a one-year stint of mandatory duty, there was also a mobilisation.
According to the Defense Ministry, there are no draftees involved in the battle in Ukraine; only volunteers are used. Before entering Ukraine, the Russian military employed roughly 400,000 contract soldiers, including about 150,000 on the ground.
By the end of 2023, 521,000 of the 695,000 volunteer contract troops who will make up the new Russian military, according to Shoigu, should have been enlisted.
All Russian men must serve in the military for one year from the ages of 18 to 27, but many use college deferments and medical exemptions to evade the draught. According to Shoigu, the draught age range will be changed to 21 to 30 and recruits would have the option of signing a contract with the military or serving as draftees for one year.
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Human rights advocates have documented numerous instances when draftees were coerced into signing contracts to work as volunteers, and Shoigu's remark seems to suggest that the practise may become more widespread.
While some young conscripts have been forced into volunteering, many Russian males, especially those who reside in the economically depressed regions of the nation, enlist in order to receive a respectable wage. Authorities promised them bonuses and other compensation in addition to the military salary for participating in war.
Putin asserted that individuals who are mobilised will receive a monthly income of at least 195,000 roubles (about $2,800), which is roughly five times the average wage in Russia. Some regional authorities pledged to add their own bonuses on top of that.
Families of Ukrainian troops who were slain in the line of duty are entitled to a variety of state-mandated benefits that, in altogether, might exceed 12 million rubles (more than $170,000).
Putin's mobilisation order caused hundreds of thousands to leave overseas to avoid the call-up despite the cash and other benefits, and the military has struggled to secure enough supplies for those who were picked up.
However, the government's fears that the uprising would spark widespread unrest haven't come to pass, and scattered demonstrations across Russia haven't really taken off. Many military experts believe that Russia might mobilise larger forces, and some even projected that a fresh round of mobilisation could start early in 2019.
In western Russia, Shoigu detailed plans to establish new military formations, including an army corps that would be stationed in the Karelian region of the northwest, close to Finland.
The plans signalled Russia's return to the military organisation of the Soviet era, which it had abandoned during more recent military reforms that saw the establishment of smaller, more mobile units.
According to some Russian military analysts, such tiny units designed for use in local conflicts lacked the manpower and resources necessary for intense combat like that occurring in Ukraine.
The current infantry, airborne, and marine brigades, the larger groups that Russia once possessed and that the US and certain NATO partners now possess, will be reorganised into divisions, according to Shoigu. He also disclosed the formation of several new departments.
Some air force units would be subordinated to groups of land forces as part of a proposed reform, ostensibly to improve the coordination between them, which many observers claimed was lacking during the combat in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of using the lessons learned from the combat to modernise the armed forces in a speech he delivered to top military officers on Wednesday.
He made a point of highlighting how crucial it is to improve artillery tactics and communications. Some Russian military bloggers bemoaned the lack of coordination between units and the length of time it took commanders to identify and clear targets for artillery and rocket attacks.
In addition, Putin underlined the importance of expanding drone use, stating that they have been crucial in the battle.
According to the Russian president, the military industry will raise their manufacture of weapons because they can do so without taxing the nation's resources or hurting the economy.
The modernization of Russia's nuclear arsenal, which he referred to as "the greatest guarantee of our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity, and the global balance of forces," was another commitment made by Putin on Wednesday.
He declared that the brand-new intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat would soon be put into service. Putin has praised the Sarmat's capacity to evade any missile defence systems. It is meant to replace ageing Soviet-built ballistic missiles and serve as the centrepiece of Russia's nuclear arsenal.
Putin went on to say that Russia would use additional hypersonic weapons, stressing that the military would commission the first boat outfitted with cutting-edge Zircon hypersonic missiles the following month.
