The publication of the 2023 edition of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) military assessment occurred almost a year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.
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The Russian army compensated for the human losses of the early phases of the invasion by enlisting recruits, but this resulted in the arrival of less experienced soldiers, the IISS notes.
The institute also notes a change in the composition of the Russian armored fleet. Nearly half of its T-72B3 and T-72B3M tanks and many of its T-80s were lost, so the Russian army had to put older vehicles into service to compensate for these losses.
According to the IISS, Russia also lost between 6% and 8% of its tactical combat aircraft, but losses reach 10-15% for some types of aircraft.
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Ukraine had fewer combat aircraft and suffered proportionally greater losses, the report points out, estimating that the Ukrainian military lost about half of its inventory of tactical combat aircraft.
With its stockpile of Soviet-era weapons depleted, the supply of land-based weaponry to Ukraine from Western countries is transforming its army and increasing its capabilities. Meanwhile, its stock is bolstered by an influx of Soviet-era tanks from Eastern European countries, which are replacing aging weapons with more modern equipment.
Around 20 countries also announced immediate or long-term increases in defense spending or spending targets, while NATO, which Sweden and Finland now want to join, received a new boost.
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At the same time, the modernization of the Chinese military is the “main cause for concern” for the United States, according to the IISS, which notes that the 7% increase in the defense budget in 2022 over the previous year is the largest in terms absolute in China.
(With AFP)
