The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 2021 to 2025 Asia
Military - note Russia, in 5 editions.
The entry for Russia published Military - note in 5 editions of 34, from 2021 to 2025. The text changed in 4 editions. Each is shown as published. Military - note in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 4
- the first edition with it
- 2021
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Military - note” (2021 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Changed since 2024- as of 2021, Russian military forces continued to conduct active combat operations in Syria;
- Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015;
- Russian assistance included air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment
Russia is the leading member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and contributes approximately 8,000 troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force (2021)
as of 2021, Russian military forces continued to conduct active combat operations in Syria; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015; Russian assistance included air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment
Russia is the leading member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and contributes approximately 8,000 troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force (2021)
- as of 2022, Russian military forces continued to conduct active combat operations in Syria;
- Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015;
- Russian assistance included air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment
Russia is the leading member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and contributes approximately 8,000 troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force (2022)
as of 2021, 2022, Russian military forces continued to conduct active combat operations in Syria; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015; Russian assistance included air support, special operations forces, military advisors, private military contractors, training, arms, and equipment
Russia is the leading member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and contributes approximately 8,000 troops to CSTO's rapid reaction force (2021) (2022)
- the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations;
- it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space;
- in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO;
- in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Syria and Ukraine;
- in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military, particularly the ground forces, continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945;
- Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022;
- Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era;
- Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training;
- it seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008;
- separately, Russia has provided military personnel and private military contractors to conduct missions in Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Sudan
- Russian forces are organized into five military districts and operational/joint strategic commands;
- the Ground Troops are configured into at least 11 combined arms armies, one tank army, and four army corps, each comprised of a mixture of tank or “motorized rifle” (mechanized or motorized infantry) division and brigade structures supplemented by artillery, tactical missile, and air defense forces;
- the most capable ground forces are the special forces (Spetsial’noye naznacheniye or Spetsnaz) brigades and Airborne and Air Assault Troops (VDV), which are considered strategic-level assets;
- the Spetsnaz forces have eight brigades, while the VDV has two airborne and two air assault divisions, plus some independent air assault and Spetsnaz brigades
- the Navy conducts operations globally and has four fleets (Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific, and Northern), as well as a flotilla in the Caspian Sea;
- the principal surface warships are an aircraft carrier (under repair until at least 2024), four battlecruisers or cruisers, and over 20 destroyers and frigates;
- the backbone of the Navy is its submarine force, which has approximately 50-60 nuclear ballistic missile, nuclear cruise missile, nuclear attack-type, and conventional attack submarines;
- the ballistic missile submarines are an essential arm of Russia’s nuclear triad;
- the Navy has an aviation force with fighters, multipurpose fighters, and surface attack aircraft, as well as anti-submarine warfare and attack helicopters;
- it also has coastal defense forces and a ground force of several naval infantry brigades, which have been used as ground troops in Ukraine
- the Aerospace Forces include as sub-branches the Air Force, the Air and Missile Defense Forces, and Space Forces;
- the Air and Air/Missile Defense elements are typically organized into armies, commands, bases, brigades, and regiments;
- the Air Forces are some of the largest in the world, and prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine included nearly 1,500 fighters, multirole fighters, and bombers, as well as nearly 1,500 combat helicopters
the Strategic Rocket Forces have both road-mobile and silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and are organized into three armies with 12 subordinate divisions, each further broken down into regiments
the paramilitary Russian National Guard is organized into regions or districts with subordinate divisions and brigades, which include a mix of security, special purpose, protective, and motorized units, as well as some artillery and aviation forces (2023)
Rewritten: too little of the 2022 text remains to mark the changes.
the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO; in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Syria and Ukraine; in February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military, particularly the ground forces, continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as special operations forces and troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training; it seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008; separately, Russia has provided military personnel and private military contractors to conduct missions in Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Sudan
Russian forces are organized into five military districts and operational/joint strategic commands; the Ground Troops are configured into at least 11 combined arms armies, one tank army, and four army corps, each comprised of a mixture of tank or “motorized rifle” (mechanized or motorized infantry) division and brigade structures supplemented by artillery, tactical missile, and air defense forces; the most capable ground forces are the special forces (Spetsial’noye naznacheniye or Spetsnaz) brigades and Airborne and Air Assault Troops (VDV), which are considered strategic-level assets; the Spetsnaz forces have eight brigades, while the VDV has two airborne and two air assault divisions, plus some independent air assault and Spetsnaz brigades
the Navy conducts operations globally and has four fleets (Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific, and Northern), as well as a flotilla in the Caspian Sea; the principal surface warships are an aircraft carrier (under repair until at least 2024), four battlecruisers or cruisers, and over 20 destroyers and frigates; the backbone of the Navy is its submarine force, which has approximately 50-60 nuclear ballistic missile, nuclear cruise missile, nuclear attack-type, and conventional attack submarines; the ballistic missile submarines are an essential arm of Russia’s nuclear triad; the Navy has an aviation force with fighters, multipurpose fighters, and surface attack aircraft, as well as anti-submarine warfare and attack helicopters; it also has coastal defense forces and a ground force of several naval infantry brigades, which have been used as ground troops in Ukraine
the Aerospace Forces include as sub-branches the Air Force, the Air and Missile Defense Forces, and Space Forces; the Air and Air/Missile Defense elements are typically organized into armies, commands, bases, brigades, and regiments; the Air Forces are some of the largest in the world, and prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine included nearly 1,500 fighters, multirole fighters, and bombers, as well as nearly 1,500 combat helicopters
the Strategic Rocket Forces have both road-mobile and silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and are organized into three armies with 12 subordinate divisions, each further broken down into regiments
the paramilitary Russian National Guard is organized into regions or districts with subordinate divisions and brigades, which include a mix of security, special purpose, protective, and motorized units, as well as some artillery and aviation forces (2023)
- the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations;
- it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space;
- in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO
- in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Ukraine and Syria;
- in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945;
- Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022;
- Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era;
- Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training
prior to its military operations in Syria and Ukraine, Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2024)
Rewritten: too little of the 2023 text remains to mark the changes.
the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting the full range of air, land, maritime, and strategic missile operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats from the US and NATO
in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Ukraine and Syria; in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the military continues to be heavily engaged there in what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russia has occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea and backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in September 2015 in what was Moscow’s first overseas expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training
prior to its military operations in Syria and Ukraine, Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2024)
- the Russian military is responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, providing maritime security, and supporting Moscow's national security objectives, including projecting influence and power abroad and deterring perceived external threats;
- its missions include air, land, maritime, strategic missile, and expeditionary operations;
- it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space;
- the Russian military's focus is its ongoing war on Ukraine and the perceived threat from NATO and the US
- in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, beginning what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945;
- Russian military forces occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea in 2014, and Moscow subsequently backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022
- Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the Syrian Government from September 2015 until the collapse of the ASAD regime in December 2024;
- it was Moscow’s first overseas military expeditionary operation since the Soviet era;
- Russian assistance included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training;
- Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2025)
the Russian military is a mixed force of conscripts and professionals (contract servicemen) that is capable of conducting responsible for protecting the full range of country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, providing maritime security, and supporting Moscow's national security objectives, including projecting influence and power abroad and deterring perceived external threats; its missions include air, land, maritime, and strategic missile missile, and expeditionary operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfare, electronic warfare, and space; in addition to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the military supports Moscow’s national security objectives, which include maintaining and projecting influence Russian military's focus is its ongoing war on Ukraine and power outside Russia, particularly in the former Soviet republics, and deterring perceived external threats threat from NATO and the US and NATO
in recent years, the Russian military has conducted combat operations in both Ukraine and Syria; in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, and the military continues to be heavily engaged there in beginning what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russia has Russian military forces occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea in 2014, and Moscow subsequently backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine since 2014 with arms, equipment, and training, as well as Russian military troops, although Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022; 2022
Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the ASAD government in Syrian Government from September 2015 until the collapse of the ASAD regime in what December 2024; it was Moscow’s first overseas military expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance has included air support, arms and equipment, intelligence, military advisors, private military contractors, special operations forces, and training training; Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008
prior to its military operations in Syria and Ukraine,(2024) (2025)
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Russia: Military - note.” The World Factbook, 2021–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/russia/military-note.