Russia's Military Revival: A Glimpse into the Rebuilding Efforts Post-Ukraine Invasion

Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State for the U.S., is convinced that Russia has already rebuilt its military after the losses incurred during the invasion of Ukraine. Worse, evidence has appeared online in photos acquired by the Frontelligence Insight portal. They show that the Russians are working tirelessly to rebuild their invasion forces.

According to a senior official of the U.S. Department of State, Kurt Campbell, Russia has rebuilt its military after suffering significant losses during the invasion of Ukraine.

Over the past few months, we have assessed that Russia has almost completely rebuilt itself in military terms - said Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell during an event organized by the Center for a New American Security.

While it is true that Russia is continually rebuilding its forces and trying to replenish losses, including recruiting new personnel and creating new units and military districts, reality significantly deviates from what appears on paper.

The Frontelligence Insight portal closely monitored many Russian units and noted a problem that has become more apparent since 2023 and continues to deepen into 2024. Armoured vehicles in Vladimir Putin's army are being replaced with civilian vehicles, such as vans, pickups, and other unarmored vehicles.

Russians do not have enough capabilities to replace all the lost machines with newly manufactured ones. Evidence has documented the exchange of T-72 tanks of various modifications for T-62 and T-55 in at least one tank unit.

Although we do not know the situation in all units, sporadic videos featuring T-55 and T-62 in various areas suggest this is not an isolated case. The last two examples were produced in the 50s and 60s of the twentieth century.

Since the start of the invasion, the number of lost vehicles has exceeded 15,000 by the end of March, including 2,856 tanks, 135 helicopters, 106 aeroplanes, and 20 ships. Russia cannot replace such numbers within two years, even though it still has many machines in its reserves that date back to the USSR era.

It is worth noting, however, that despite the losses in land, sea, and air vehicles, Russia has significantly expanded its missile arsenal, potentially one of the largest in the world, consisting of hundreds of thousands of tactical reconnaissance drones, kamikaze, and bombing drones.

It should be remembered that Moscow increased its defence spending from 2022 to 6 per cent of the national GDP in the budget for 2024. This increase is part of the Kremlin's broader efforts to transition its economy, particularly the defence industry, to a war footing.

Part of the Russians' success comes from the support of China, North Korea, and Iran. Campbell and other officials stated that China helped its partner overcome economic and military failures over the past two years.

We really saw how the People's Republic of China began to assist in rebuilding the Russian defense industry base, essentially supplementing trade with European partners that ceased with Russia's invasion - said the American.

What is certain, however, is that rebuilding the army will take Russia many years. The shape of Russian forces in the coming years will look completely different. The outcome of the war will determine their future size and composition.