War in Ukraine | The uneven campaign

The military operation launched in the middle of the night from Wednesday to Thursday by Russia in Ukraine took place both on land, on the sea and in the air. In this unequal campaign, Russia has military resources, both human and material, far superior to those of Ukraine. Overview of the forces involved.

Andre Duchesne
The Press

61.7 billion

In 2020, Russia’s military spending exceeded Ukraine’s by ten times, according to a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Russia devoted 61.7 billion in military expenditure against 5.9 billion in its Ukrainian neighbor. In terms of gross domestic product (GDP), the figures are roughly equivalent, at just over 4%.

The Russian army among the world powers

Military spending is only a fraction, albeit the largest, of countries’ national defense budgets. According to Global Firepower, Russia’s national defense budget (which includes all types of expenditures, including pension funds), amounts to US$154 billion. He comes at 3^and rank behind China (250 billion) and the United States (770 billion). Ukraine is at 20^and rank with a budget of 11.9 billion.

Aging Ukrainian military equipment

Essentially local, Russia’s military equipment is much more varied than that of Ukraine. A few years ago, Russia undertook a modernization of it, for example with T-14 Armata tanks and 59N6-TE radars capable of detecting hypersonic targets. According to the CIA’s World Factbook, Ukrainian equipment is aging. Improvements in recent years are partly attributable to $14 billion in NATO aid.

Since 2014, aid to Ukraine

This NATO aid was set up following the invasion of Crimea, the southern peninsula of Ukraine, by Russia in February and March 2014. Since 2014, American military aid to Ukraine would have reached 2.5 billion. On the Global Affairs Canada website, we read that since 2014, Canada has provided more than $890 million in “multifaceted aid” to Ukraine. “Support to Ukraine’s security sector and defense reform remains a key area of ​​our collaboration,” it says.

190,000

In general, it is estimated that the Russian army has between 850,000 and 900,000 active fighters, while there are around 200,000 among the Ukrainians. Within days of the Russian invasion, around 190,000 Russian troops were on the border with Ukraine, unheard of in Europe since the end of World War II. Tuesday 1^er February, Ukraine announced a professionalization of the army and an increase in manpower of 100,000 people over three years.

12,420 Russian tanks against 2,596 Ukrainians

A few figures, taken from the Global Firepower website, speak eloquently of the imbalance of forces present. 12,420 Russian tanks against 2,596 Ukrainians, 14,000 artillery pieces against just over 3,000, 544 attack helicopters against only 34 for the Ukrainians. On the water, Russian domination is total. According to Defense News, the Russians grabbed 75% of the Ukrainian fleet following the invasion of Crimea. Ukraine also lost its naval base in Sevastopol. We had to rebuild from scratch.