Understanding the Russian Military Today

This paper analyzes the prospects for Russia to achieve a coup de main in Sweden with its current expeditionary capabilities.

This paper analyzes Russia's military buildup near Ukraine's borders in spring 2021, Kremlin's motivations for moving troops and equipment, and the results of the war scare.

This paper explores Russia’s use of local and external tools in its "hybrid aggression" against Georgia.

This paper argues that Kremlin views technological innovation as a capability of a great power, which will not only help the leadership achieve its strategic goals but also allow the regime to increase control over Russian society.

This report explores the role of Russia's new capability, the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile, in Russia’s military forces in the Arctic.

To understand the nature of Russian malign influence in Montenegro, it is necessary to examine the objectives of Russian foreign policy in the country as well as Russia's use of the Orthodox Church as an instrument of its soft power.

Wagner Group is Russia’s best-known private military company, appearing in conflict zones all over the world. This paper explains how the Wagner Group fits into Russia’s great power competition strategy while remaining beneath the threshold of catalyzing overt, large-scale military conflict.

The global arms control architecture is crumbling. While this trend is often framed as a U.S.-Russia problem, the potential expiration of the New START in February also severely affects European security. This paper argues the European Union should play a more effective role in influencing U.S.-Russia arms control negotiations.

Russia’s current military buildup taking place in Central Asia where the Russian military is already the dominant force begs the question, why is Russia enhancing its military presence in a region it already dominates—particularly at a time of global economic downturn?

This volume is comprised of the work by CSIS executive education program participants on Russian strategy and history, as well as the elements and resources behind Russian military power.

The U.S. military needs to communicate—it has an important message to get out in order to compete against dynamical adversaries. This paper argues strategic corporals must be empowered to give the United States the capacity and volume needed to compete with Russia.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has staked his claim in Venezuela across the diplomatic, military, and economic spectrum. If the United States does not fully understand how Russia’s relationship with Venezuela will pose enduring challenges, it may cede ground in shaping Venezuela's future.

The year 2020 has ruined many people’s plans but none more so than Vladimir Putin’s. This paper explores how the pandemic and protests have elevated Russia’s threat perception in ways that the United States and Europe must understand to avoid a costly confrontation.

In July 2020, the Federal Assembly approved amendments to Russia's education law, which stipulated that institutions should form in students “a sense of patriotism and civic consciousness." This paper explores the trend toward the militarization of Russia’s youth.

In 2016, Vladimir Putin claimed that, by drawing administrative borders along ethnic lines and granting national self-determination, Vladimir Lenin had planted a “time bomb” at the foundation of the Soviet Union’s statehood and that of Russia itself. This paper explains how Kremlin's quest for unified history is aimed to defuse this ontological time bomb.

By slowly increasing its involvement in Libya, Russia has managed to secure the bulk of its tactical and strategic objectives without much interference from the West. This paper looks at Russia's playbook and offers options to counter Russian efforts.

On December 2019, the Russian minister of defense announced that the Russian military had successfully deployed the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV). What impact does this development have on U.S. and NATO security? This paper answers this question.

The Trump administration has articulated a bold vision for arms control, but it has chosen the wrong time and approach to achieve its ambitious goals. This paper makes the case for extending New START immediately and without preconditions.

Over the years, Russia's government agencies and affiliated groups have used a combination of social media savvy and disinformation strategies to further Russian influence. In this paper, the Czech and Estonian responses are explored and offered as solutions to this growing threat.

Through media and diplomatic institutions, Russia is using its levers of influence and public diplomacy to create memory alliances with foreign audiences. Serbia, where Russia must tussle for influence with the European Union and the United States, provides a case study of Russian memory alliance construction.

The reformed and revitalized Russian military is increasingly powerful and proficient. However, Russia remains suspended between the large but limited army of its past and the expensive but proficient professional military model. Does this mixed manpower system give Russia the best or the worst of both worlds?

Russia’s resurgence in the twenty-first century has resulted in a large number of misconceptions about its objectives in international politics. This paper seeks to clear up some of those misconceptions by identifying and dispelling four common myths about Russian grand strategy.

Corruption has riddled the ranks of the Russian military for decades, persisting in operations, maintenance, and personnel. This paper explores what corruption might look like if it infected Russia’s elite military cyber units.

The Russian private military company Wagner Group may appear to be a conventional business company; however, its management and operations are deeply intertwined with the Russian military and intelligence community. This paper explores the connection between the Wagner Group and the Russian state.

As the Putin era continues into its third decade, the West should closely observe Rosgvardiya’s actions and the authorities it is given not only to understand Russia better but to also avoid a diplomatic misstep. This paper explores the creation and purpose of Russia's National Guard.

In modern day Russia, a fairly low number of women serve in the military despite an expanded force structure approaching 1 million active duty personnel. This paper explores why this is the case.

In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Mykola Bielieskov, Ph.D. student at the National Institute for Strategic Studies (NISS), Ukraine, and Natia Seskuria, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).