Ukraine: a Test for Russian Military Reform
In the recent years Russia has made a significant effort in favor of modernizing its armed forces which allowed it to execute the swift annexation of Crimea in March 2014. Nevertheless, the deteriorating economic situation casts doubts on Russia’s ability to continue these ambitious reforms.
This is especially true for the Strategic Forces which will have to face a reevaluation of the priority they were given in 2010. Uncertainties still linger over the future missions and capabilities of both the Navy and the Air Force. In the meantime, the ground forces, and especially the Special Forces (Spetsnaz) components, have to adapt to “hybrid warfare” in Eastern Ukraine while maintaining their own modernization process.
This paper is published in cooperation with
the Defense Research Unit, Ifri
(Focus stratégique, No. 56, May 2015)
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Ukraine: a Test for Russian Military Reform
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