Before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army was commonly known as the “second army of the world.” However, within a few months, it became evident that the Armed Forces Ukraine, despite being smaller and less equipped, were able to hold their own on the battlefield. This became the reason many began to believe that the Russian army was nearing its end, but the reality is more complex than that.
The impossibility of comparison
According to military experts, comparing these two armies is a challenging task. The situation has changed significantly since the start of 2022, with one side improving and the other degrading. As a result, it’s hard to make a direct comparison as each army has different strong and weak factors. In summary, It is actually difficult to draw a general result.
Opening of the year
According to military experts, the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have significantly improved since 2014. This progress can be attributed to three crucial factors that serve as the foundation of their success:
- a considerable experience of the war with Russia and the ability to create the tactics and strategy of the enemy in advance;
- perfect management and communication;
- motivation.
It helps not to surrender positions and act unpredictably.
“Paper Tiger”
At the same time, the Russian army turned out to be a kind of “paper tiger”, whose main trump card for decades was reputation. Now this reputation is rapidly collapsing. This was proved by significant defeats at the front.
Besides victories, it’s important to acknowledge the high number of losses. A notable aspect of the Russian army is its lack of emphasis on minimizing the loss of soldiers. Estimates suggest that over 207 000 servicemen from the Russian Federation have already been lost.
And still the second one
Despite the above, the Russian army currently holds the second position in the rankings even one year after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This can be attributed to their lethal capabilities being the primary determining factor. Russia has:
- rockets;
- technological systems;
- nuclear potential.
At the same time, at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine was in the third ten of the rating. Now, it has already risen to the 15th place.
