'Poorly equipped, poorly led, poorly fed': Inside Russia's military challenges
Russia’s military has continued to rely on its large size to sustain operations. UK Defence Intelligence estimates suggest that Russia has suffered more than 1.1 million casualties, including killed, wounded, captured, or missing personnel.
Russia's military is widely described as being of "very low quality," with persistent shortfalls in personnel, equipment, and operational capability, according to analysts and military experts.
Operational shortcomings
Russia's soldiers have been characterized as "poorly equipped, poorly led and poorly fed." Justin Crump, CEO of intelligence firm Sibylline, said there are "shortfalls in ammunition, artillery, vehicles, air defence, and people." Crump added that the army has "limited to no ability to regenerate units or casualties."
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The operational environment in eastern Ukraine has been particularly hazardous. Crump noted that soldiers' "life expectancy in the deadly 'drone zone' of eastern Ukraine is short."
Casualties and manpower
Despite these deficiencies, Russia's military has continued to rely on its large size to sustain operations. UK Defence Intelligence estimates suggest that Russia has suffered more than 1.1 million casualties, including killed, wounded, captured, or missing personnel. Conservative estimates put the number of Russians killed at approximately 150,000, says the BBC.
"The sheer volume of personnel and military hardware matters," analysts note. Russia has been able to draw on a "massive pool of manpower," replacing an estimated 30,000 monthly battlefield casualties with new recruits.
In addition, Russia's economy has shifted to a war footing, producing large quantities of drones, missiles, and artillery shells. Analysts say this focus on mass production demonstrates that volume is "absolutely vital for anybody that is going to face Russia on land." Russian defense spending is estimated at close to 7% of GDP.
Potential targets outside Ukraine
Military analysts have also raised concerns about potential future targets if Russia achieves its objectives in Ukraine. One key area is the Suwalki Gap, a 60-mile (100 km) stretch of border between Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members. The corridor separates Belarus from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and could provide Moscow with direct access to its strategic Baltic base if seized.
Other potential targets cited include:
Undersea cables and pipelines connecting the UK to global networks. Covert activity by Russian vessels, such as the Yantar, has reportedly scoped out these cables for potential sabotage.
The Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—particularly areas with Russian-speaking populations, which could prompt Moscow to intervene under the pretext of protecting them. Analysts highlight the eastern Estonian town of Narva as a potential target, as it sits across the river from the Russian fortress of Ivangorod.
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, administered by Norway, where Russia maintains a presence in the coal-mining town of Barentsburg.
Western satellites in space, which Russia could attempt to disable, potentially disrupting military and civilian communications.
