The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Russian: Вооружённые Си́лы Росси́йской Федера́ции, Vooruzhonnije Síly Rossíyskoj Federátsii) are the military services of Russia, established after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992, Boris Yeltsin signed a presidential decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR under Russian control. The commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president of Russia. Although the Russian armed forces were formed in 1992, the Russian military dates its roots back to the times of the Kievan Rus'.
The number of troops is specified by decree of the President of Russia. On 1 January 2008, a number of 2,019,629 units, including military of 1,134,800 units, was set.
In 2010 the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that the Russian Armed Forces numbered about 1,027,000 active troops and in the region of 20,000,000 reserves, (largely ex-conscripts) but a significant military reform is underway which will cut the number of active troops. According to SIPRI Russia spent nearly $72bn on arms 2011, overtaking Britain ($62.7bn) and France ($62.5bn).Russia is planning further increases in its military spending, with draft budgets showing a 53% rise in real terms up to 2014.However,SIPRI adds that many analysts are doubtful whether the industry will be able to deliver on such ambitious plans after decades of stagnation following the collapse of the Soviet Union. However analysts and even some high ranking Russian Military Officers have openly questioned the feasibility of the official announcements and ambitious plans to transform and modernize Russia's Armed Forces on a sufficient and noticeable scale, claiming internal problems, such as rampant corruption and a lack of sufficient and effective funding, as well as a lack of experienced professional personnel. For instance Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has said that the program had been poorly managed and would cost too much to fix.
Read more about Armed Forces Of The Russian Federation: History, Structure, Personnel, Budget, Nuclear Weapons
Famous quotes containing the words armed, forces, russian and/or federation:
“Superstition, bigotry and prejudice, ghosts though they are, cling tenaciously to life; they are shades armed with tooth and claw. They must be grappled with unceasingly, for it is a fateful part of human destiny that it is condemned to wage perpetual war against ghosts. A shade is not easily taken by the throat and destroyed.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“There is the falsely mystical view of art that assumes a kind of supernatural inspiration, a possession by universal forces unrelated to questions of power and privilege or the artist’s relation to bread and blood. In this view, the channel of art can only become clogged and misdirected by the artist’s concern with merely temporary and local disturbances. The song is higher than the struggle.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)
“Whatever qualities [Tsar Nicholas I] may have shown in his own kingly profession, it must be admitted that in his dealings with the Russian Muse he was at the worst a vicious bully, at the best a clown.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“Women realize that we are living in an ungoverned world. At heart we are all pacifists. We should love to talk it over with the war-makers, but they would not understand. Words are so inadequate, and we realize that the hatred must kill itself; so we give our men gladly, unselfishly, proudly, patriotically, since the world chooses to settle its disputes in the old barbarous way.”
—General Federation Of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)