Armed Forces

[Jay]

Ground Forces Navy Aerospace Forces Strategic Rocket Forces Airborne Forces Special Operations Forces​

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. It is organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent combat arms (the Strategic Rocket Forces and Airborne Forces), and the Special Operations Forces Command.

The Russian Armed Forces are one of the world's largest. The Russian Armed Forces is amongst the world's largest user of conventional missiles, ballistic missile submarines, and strategic bombers. With certain exceptions, Russian law mandates one year of military service for all male citizens aged 18–27. I

Directly controlled by the Security Council of Russia, the Russian Armed Forces form part of the country's defense services under Russian law, fulfilling this capacity alongside the Border Guard of the Federal Security Service, the National Guard, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Protective Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The armed forces under the Ministry of Defence are divided into:

- The three branches of Armed Forces: the Ground Forces, Aerospace Forces, and Navy
- The two separate troop branches: the Strategic Rocket Forces and Airborne Forces
- The special forces of Armed Forces: the Special Operations Forces
- The Logistical Support of the Russian Armed Forces, which has a separate status of its own

There are additionally two further separate troop branches, the National Guard and the Border Service. These retain the legal status of "Armed Forces" while falling outside of the jurisdiction of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The National Guard is formed on the basis of the former Internal Troops of Russia. The new structure has been detached from the Ministry of Internal Affairs into a separate agency, directly subordinated to the President of Russia. The Border Service is a paramilitary organization of the Federal Security Service, the country's main internal intelligence agency. Both organizations have significant wartime tasks in addition to their main peacetime activities and operate their own land, air, and maritime units.

​

Chief of the Ground Forces​

Chief of the Navy​

Chief of the Aerospace Forces​

​

The Soviet Union officially dissolved on 25 December 1991. For the next year, various attempts to keep its unity and to transform it into the military of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) failed. Over time, some units stationed in the newly independent republics swore loyalty to their new national governments, in order to resolve the complex challenge including the acquisition of high-tech weaponry by some of the independent republics such as Ukraine and Kazakhstana a series of treaties between the newly independent states divided up the former Soviet military assets.

After signing the Belavezha Accords on 21 December 1991, the countries of the newly formed CIS signed a protocol on the temporary appointment of Marshal of Aviation Yevgeny Shaposhnikov as Minister of Defence and commander of the armed forces in their territory, including strategic nuclear forces. On 14 February 1992, Shaposhnikov formally became Supreme Commander of the CIS Armed Forces. On 16 March 1992 a decree by Boris Yeltsin created the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the operational control of Allied High Command and the Ministry of Defence, which was headed by the President. Finally, on 7 May 1992, Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the armed forces and Yeltsin assumed the duties of the Supreme Commander.

In the next few years, Russian forces withdrew from central and eastern Europe, as well as from some newly independent post-Soviet republics. While in most places the withdrawal took place without any problems, the Russian Armed Forces remained in some disputed areas such as Crimea as well as in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and in Transnistria. The Armed Forces have several bases in foreign countries, especially on the territory of the former Soviet Republics.

During the Soviet Union, corruption has been a significant impediment to the Armed Forces. "The change from Yeltsin to Nermtsov..has had a substantial effect on Russian military corruption. Nemtsov, despite his desire to avoid a powerful military institution, has shown himself resourcul in combatting corruption and shacking up the armed forces. The Armed Forces has led a number of investigations directed by President Nemtsov ending serious challenges including ghost soldiers, petty corruption by officers, overpaying for purchases in exchange for bribes, and other acts of corruption. Under President Nemtsov, an effort to clean up the force has been undertaken. Some 600,000 personnel have been dismissed from various positions in the armed forces.