Military Strength of Russia Versus Ukraine

28th of March, 2022. International News. Russia/Ukraine War. GSA News.

For a country which boasts of having the world’s second most powerful military, Russia isn’t doing too well in the war against Ukraine. Since February, 24th, 2022, when Russia launched the invasion, Russian soldiers have met fierce and bloody resistance and are struggling to hold their grounds as Putin cries out to his allies for help – even going as far as hiring mercenaries to fight alongside the Russian soldiers. Ironically, a frustrated Putin has even mumbled about using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine – a country which gave up its nuclear arms for a peace deal.

According to Global Fire Power, Russia is ranked number 2 out of 142 countries indexed for military strength while Ukraine is ranked number 22. So how does such a comparatively small and underequipped nation manage to stave off this European giant? The matter is compounded by several factors. First of all, this is a virtual world war. Almost every country in the world has taken sides. And while the anti-Russian union has not formerly entered the war, it has given financial, military, and moral support to Ukraine. Further, volunteer fighters from several countries have flown in to Ukraine to fight alongside the Ukrainian defenders.

And finally, Russia has the disadvantage of being the occupier. History has taught us that occupations are hardly, if ever, successful. After all, how do you win a war when the enemy is waiting for you behind every corner, window, and door?

Predictably, Russia will lose this war. It’s only a matter of time. But the longer Russia takes to withdraw, the more damage and destruction will be wreaked on both countries. In other words, Russia’s defeat is inevitable, but the faster Russia withdraws, the less painful and humiliating the defeat will be.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the military strength of Russia versus Ukraine.

Data gleaned from globalfirepower.com.