An Evaluation of the Russian Military Reforms I.

Belated, Comprehensive Reform

Abstract

As a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the former Cold War superpower, Russia significantly weakened in the 1990s, hit by a series of economic, political and societal crises. Such crisis phenomena also affected the Russian military: its capabilities were weakened by the aging of most military assets, the demoralization of the personnel and widespread corruption. These problems could only be countered after the turn of millennium due to the improving economic background and the consolidating political power, thus triggering the comprehensive reform and modernization of the military. Throughout a series of four studies the author offers an overview and assessment of those processes that enabled Russia to rearticulate its great power ambitions, underpinned by more modern and combat-ready conventional armed forces to be developed until the end of the current decade. The current first study of the series unveils those factors which delayed the restructuring of the Russian armed forces until after the turn of the millennium and outlines the main aims of the comprehensive reform. Subsequent parts of the series will focus on the organisational, personnel and modernization aspects of the reform; the lessons learnt from combat experience of the Russian armed forces in the past 25 years; and the trends of defence expenditure, underpinning these efforts.