11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?

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HowpowerfulisRussia?
Picknewpeopleandtopicstofollowandseethe
Ithinkthisisabroadquestion.LookslikeRussiaisapowerfulcountry.Morepowerfulthan bestanswersonQuora.
theUS.Idon'tknowwhattheweaknessesofRussiaare.
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21Answers

DanHolliday,Iread.
WrittenNov16,2013

RussiahastwomassiveloomingissuesandtheyneedNOTbeloomingissues.Andthishas
gottahurt.

DepopulationRussiaisn'tmakingbabieslikeitusedto.By2050thepopulationis
expectedtodecreasebyathird.ThisisbecauselifeexpectancyisquitelowinRussia
comparatively(which,givenitstaxbase,mayactuallybeabudgetfriendlything,
consideringthatRussiadoesn'tandwillnotincurmassivelegacycosts).Moreover,people
aren'timmigratingtoRussiatomakeupthisloss.(moreonthatlater)

CorruptionRussiaisanoligarchy,withhintsofautocracyandkleptocracy.This
preventsthereallyrichprogresswe'veseeninotherpostSovietnations.

Andallofthisisamassiveshame.Russiahaseverythingtobeembarrassedabout.It
LITERALLYhasthesamebountyastheUSA,CanadaandBrazil,buthasneverbeenable
torealizethispotential.ThisisbecauseRussiacannotaffectthesameautocatalytic
growththeUSAdid.

Bysuppressingcorruptionandincreasingpersonalfreedoms(includingthevery
importantproperty/wealthrights),theUSAthenattractedlotsofreallycreativepeople
fromaroundtheworld.Thesepeoplebroughtideasandthenbuiltontheminsidethe MoreRelatedQuestions
nation.TheUSAhassomuchgoingforitthatitsimmigrationandnaturalwealthcan
carryitforafewgenerationsevenwithoutalltheother"good"thingsgoingforit.Canada
andAustraliahavesimilarbenefits.BrazilandArgentinaarediscoveringtheirs. QuestionStats

98Followers
Russiaalsohasthissamepotential,butbecausecorruption,sexism,homophobiaand
racismisnotundercontrolbecausetheleadersaredefactokleptocrats/oligarchs,it's 310,530Views
hardtoattractthe"bestandthebrightest"fromallovertheworldtocometoyourcountry LastAskedNov28,2015
toinventandinnovate.Thesepeoplewouldalsomakeuptheshortfallofthebirthrateand Edits
atleastkeepRussiaatacomfortable150millionpeoplefortheforeseeablefuture.

WhileRussiawillrideforagenerationortwomoreonitsnaturalwealth,Icannotseehow
theyaregoingtoremedythereallystrongprejudice(thatpreventsstrongimmigration),
corruption,lackoffreedomsanddepopulation.
19.3kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 111 Downvote Comments 5+

JonMixon,ReadeverythingthatIcanuponthesubject
WrittenNov16,2013

Notevenclose.

RussiahasapopulationlessthanhalfthatoftheUnitedStates.Ithastheeighthlargest
economybehindtheU.K.(butaheadofItaly)andamilitarywhichisstarvedfornew
equipmentandparts.It'slifeexpectancyhasactuallydecreasedandithasrampant
alcoholanddrugabuseissues.

Manyofitssmalltownsarebeingdepopulatedaspeopleheadtothecitiestomakealiving
andithasnumberproblemswithbothhighschoolandcollegedropouts.Ithasa
simmeringMuslimissueintheTransCaucasusandpotentialseriouslaborissuesinitsfar
easterncities.

WhileRussiahasanarsenalofnuclearweapons,theUShasbetterdeliverysystemsanda
fleetofmissilesubmarineswhichdestroyRussiaafteranyRussianfirststrike.TheUSNavy
issecondtononeandisprobablethestrongestnavalforceeverdeployed.

Frankly,itappearsthattheonlytimewhentheUSandRussiawereinastateofparitywas

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shortlyaftertheendofWWII.SincethentheUShassurpassedRussiainalmostevery
measure,exceptforsize.
14.4kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 94 Downvote Comments 2+

MarkSavchuk,AcuriousUkrainian
WrittenSep22,2014

UserisdefinitelyrightthatRussia'sspendingisNOWHERENEARthespendingofUS.

Butletschecksomethingverybasicwhatisthecostoflivingandwhatarethesalariesin
bothcountries?

1000dollarsisnothinginUSA,noonewouldeventhinkofworkingfortheArmyforthat
amountofmoney,whereasinRussiaitsamediansalaryforamilitaryworker.

Costofproductionagain,muchlowerinRussia.Sodespitetrulybeinglesspowerfulthan
USA(whichisabsolutelytrueofcourse)itsnotTHATlesspowerfulasnumberswould
suggest.

AlsorememberthatRussiahasthebiggestmilitary"heritage"thananyothercountryon
theplanet(becauseintheSovietUnioneveryonewassocrazyaboutbuildingmore
weaponsthattheyhaveendupbuildingabsolutelyINSANEamountofmilitarystock).

ApartfromUSAandRussiaIdoubtthatthereisanyothernationontheplanet100%
readyforamassivewar.

AlwaysremembernumbersonlymakesensewhenyoucompareapplestoapplesUSA
whereamobilephonecosts2or3Russianaveragemonthlysalariesisabadcomparablein
termsofmilitaryspending.

Alsopleasedon'tunderestimatethepersoninchargeforPutinmilitarymightisalmosta
number1priority.

SotosumupyesRussiaisnotastrongasUSA,butnoitsnotasweakasnumbers
suggestfarfromit.RussiaholdsaverystrongsecondpositionandChinaisNOTa
competitionyet.Intheageofhightechexplosivesandnuclearweaponsandtechnology
numbersofinfantryisREALLYnotanadvantageatall,Iwouldevensayitsa
disadvantagethebiggerarmyyouhavethemoremouthsyouhavetofeed.Technologyis
key.

ThisismoremodernequipmentthatseparatistuseinUkraine(theyuseBM21Grad ),
doyouthinkhavingabiggerinfantryunitwillhelporwillitbeabletohandlethis?Russia
hashundredsofthese(orsimilar)imaginethemfiringSERIOUSLYimagine100ofthese
firingatthesametime,itwillkillthousandsandthousands.Numbersoftroopsreadyto
carryarifleisasecondarythingnowadays.
Checkthe25:00minute.

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Upvote 53 Downvote Comment 1

StefanSiewert
WrittenSep22,2014

Russiahadthebesterainitshistoryfullofdramaandturmoil,aGoldenageofprosperity
andstability.Growthratesfrom19982008were7percent.Measuredinconstant

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(2009)rubles,dataindicatethattheeconomywideaveragewagetripledfromabout6,700
rublespermonthin2000toover19,000in2008(Rosstat).Becauseoftheappreciationof
therouble,realincomepercapitaincurrentUSdollarsincreasedtenfold.GDPpercapita
narrowedtotheupperhalfoftheOECD.TotalGDPsetofffromadismal271billionUSD
in1998to2trillionUSDin2012(IMF).Thebenefitsofgrowthtrickleddowntoallpartsof
Russiansociety.Thisperformanceshapedselfconfidenceofthepopulationandlegitimacy
oftheelites.

Amoredetailednarrativetellsacontroversialstoryabouttheseimpressivefigures.Ian
Morriscallsittheparadoxofdevelopment,andMarkElvinthehighlevelequilibrium
trap:Whenacountrythinksitisinagoldenage,itstopsfocusingonprogress.

Russiaisstillwithinacenturylongwavelikedevelopmentpatternofoscillationbetween
externalinducedshocktherapyandinwardturning,leavingalegacyofambivalence
towardsmodernity.Thebeginningsoftheparticularerasarepersonalizedwiththeir
rulers:PeterandCatharinatheGreat,AlexanderIIofRussiaandLenin.Thesocialist
revolutionwasnurturedfromthegapbetweenWestsadvancementandRussiaslimited
industrializationwithinahugeterritory.Atradeoffbetweentheneedofmarketandcivil
societyinstitutionsversuseconomicgrowthallowedsuperpowerstatus,anarmsraceand
anideologicalconfrontationwiththerestoftheworld.After70years,themodernization
impulsewasexhaustedandtheSovietUnionhasimplodedbeyondrepair.

Jelzinstartedin1991anewcyclewithatrialanderrorphaseofambitiousmarket
orientedanddemocraticreforms.Theobjectivewastosetupthemissinginstitutionsand
capacities,necessarytomodernizethecountryandcompeteinglobalmarkets.Thesocietal
costofthesedemandinginstitutionalinnovationswerehigh:lossofnationalidentify,
demographiccollapse,hardshipsofeconomicrestructuringandsocialmisery.TheRussian
defaultof1998demonstratedtheextenttowhichtheentiresocialedificewas
overstretchedbythechallengesofmodernity.

Putinsreignof1999startedasaturningpointtowardsconsolidationwithinthiscycle.
Unfortunately,reliefcamealsobyaparallelglobalcommodityboom.Duetothe
outstandingcostbenefitprofile,incentivesfavouredtheintegrationoftheinherited
resourceintensiveeconomyintoworldmarkets.Asapathwaytoadualeconomy,any
activityotherthanexportingcommoditieswasnotprofitableorperceivedasnotprofitable.
Russiadevelopedsomehighvalueactivitiesoutsidethecountry.Londonnamed
LondongradbytheoligarchsbecameacentreforservingRussiasneedsinIPOs,business
disputesettlingandfinancialengineeringwiththevalueoftransactionsreaching100
billionUSDayear.Itisestimatedthattheoilandgasrentreachedabout30percentof
RussiasGDP.Manycompaniestookdebtsabroad,largerthantheirmarketcapitalization.

Thegoverningelite,increasinglyconsistingofformerKGBandmilitarywiththeir
particularworldviews,exploitedtheresultsofthefortuitoussetofcircumstancesand
vindicatedblindeyestocorruptionandincreasingdependencyonhydrocarbon
extractions.Russiaseconomicmodernizationwaslimitedtoislandsconsistingofexport
pipelines,retailandconsumption,andstayedossifiedundinefficient,withdisappointing
investmentsinhumancapitalandadeterioratingphysicalinfrastructure.

Withthefastgrowingeconomy,incentivesforfollowinguponJelzinsriskyand
demandingpathofstructural,institutionalandsocialreformswerelost.Afterlow
hangingfruitofbasiceconomicreformandprudentmacroeconomicpolicieswerepicked
up,momentumwaslostandthereformprocesssloweddowninthefaceofpopular
indifference,bureaucraticinertia,politicalresistanceandmanoeuvring.Missing
institutionalconstrainssimilartothoseinAustraliaorNorway,theDutchdiseaseandthe
resourcecurseworkedtheirway.After2000structuralreformsstoppedbyandlarge.
Whilebecomingricher,thecountrymissedthechancetoexploitwindfallstomoveupthe
globalvaluechain.

Growthsloweddownbeforethefinancialcrisisof2008asanindicationthatRussias
businessmodelexhausteditselfagain.(Whenthishappenedinthe1970ies,theSoviet
Unionstartedtoexportcommodities,delayingchangeformanyyears.)Theleadershipdid
whatitcouldtoencouragechangewithoutaddressingtheunderlyingsystemicproblemsof
thepostSovietstateletstyleofdevelopment.Thelistoffailedinitiativestogenerate
momentumfromRussiasnewlywonsoftandhardpowerisfrustratinglylong:the
GermanRussianpartnershipformodernizationin2008,theuseofstateownedGasprom
asaninstrumentofforeignpolicy,thenewbuilttownofSkolkovoastheRussianrespond
totheSiliconValley,theEurasianUnionasachallengertoEuropeanUnionforglobal
influence,theCollectiveSecurityTreatyOrganizationasacounterweighttoNATO,an
attempttocopytheUSgovernmentthatmadehugeinvestmentsinthedevelopmentof
nanotechnologyinthe1990s,astateprogramtoentertheglobalaviationmarket,and
otherunsuccessfulattemptstoapproachthetechnologicalfrontierbesidesdefenceand
aerospace.Billionswerespent,butthedeclaredresultsnotachieved.

Sadly,asadownsideofamanageddemocracy,Russiadoesnothaveaninstitutional
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11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
landscapeasinadvancedWesterndemocraciesforasmoothreplacementofthegoverning
elite.TheprotestsinDecember2012byurbanmiddleclassdwellerwerebroughtunder
control,butprovedthepossibilityofaregimechangefromthebottom.Inorderto
strengthenlegitimacy,Russiassecurocraticregimemovedtotherightandswitched
publicattentionbeyondeconomicgrowth.Inakindofdelayedreactiontothecollapseof
theSovietUnionin1991andskilfullyexploitingthefragilenationalidentityafterthe
traumaticlossofsuperpowerstatus,PutinpromotedthevisionofneoSovietauthoritarian
empire.Fromnowon,theregimereliedincreasinglyonnationalism,positionedRussiaas
amoralsuperiordefenderofconservativevaluesand,recently,startedapopulistmedia
campaignagainstUkrainesEuromaidan.

InthewakeofCrimeasannexation,PresidentPutingainedapprovalratingsofupto86
percent.Atthesametime,theeconomicresultsofPutinsstatecraftwentintothe
negative:PutinsseizureofCrimeahasweakenedtheRussianeconomy,ledtoChina
gettingabargaingasdeal,revivedNATO,spurredEuropetostartendingitsaddictionto
RussiangasandbegunadebateacrossEuropeaboutincreasingdefencespending.

Russiafollowsitsownlogicofhistoricdevelopment.Asmanytimesbefore,thecountryis
ontheeveofanewdevelopmentcycle.Thecurrentnationalpoliticalequilibriumin
supportofPutinstimeinpowerisnotstableatall.WeareontheeveoftheendofPutins
era.Awindowofopportunitieswillopen,wherethecooperationwiththeWestfor
identifyingnewopportunitieswillbeappreciated.Thesuccessanddeepnessofthese
upcomingreformswilldefineRussiasdevelopmenttrajectoryforadecadeandmore.
Latestinfiveyears,Russiawillbeaverydifferentcountry.
6.8kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 28 Downvote Comment 1

BruceJones,BrookingsseniorfellowanddirectoroftheProjecton
InternationalOrderan...
WrittenMar26,2014FeaturedinForbes

ItseconomycrateredattheendoftheColdWaritdeclinedbyanastonishing90%.
Putinsgreatclaimtointernallegitimacyisthathesledtherebound,fueledliterally
byrisingoilandgasprices.Butitstillhasonlyhalfthepopulationthatitdidattheheight
oftheSovietUnion,itspoliticalsystemisincreasinglycentralizedanditseconomyis
RelatedQuestions
dysfunctional.JohnMcCaincallsitagasstationmasqueradingasaneconomy.Thats
rightbutherestheproblem:peoplestillneedgas.Russiaisamajorgasexporter,stillhas
HowcanRussiaassertitspowerandauthorityover
alargearmy,nuclearweaponsandapermanentseatontheSecurityCouncil.Arising thewest?
power?No.AcompetitortotheUSforglobalinfluence?Laughable.Butitstillhasmore
thanenoughpowertomaketroubleinitsneighborhood. WhoarethemostpowerfulpeopleinRussia?

7.7kViewsViewUpvotes
EdwardMiliband"BritainthinksRussiaisadeclining
Upvote 33 Downvote Comments 1+ power.RussiathinksBritainisadecliningpower.We
maybothberight"isEdwardMil...

WhatwarlikeconflictshasRussiabeeninvolvedin
JosephBoyle sincePutin'srisetopowerin1999?
UpdatedSep27,2013

SinceitsreemergenceUSpolicyhascharacterizedandwelcomedRussiaasaGreat BetweenAmericaandRussia,whichonehasthe
mostpowerfulmilitary?
power ,atermpopularfrom1815buteclipsedduringtheColdWar.
HowdidRussiabecomesopowerful?
Russia'snuclearforcesareequaltotheUS's.Itseconomyiscomparabletooneofthe
majorEuropeanstates,nottoAmerica'sorChina's. HowhaslifechangedinCrimeasinceRussiatook
power?

Russia'soilproductioniscomparabletothatofSaudiArabiaortheUS,anditsexport WhydoIneverhearpeopletalkingaboutRussia
volumeissecondonlytothoseofSaudiArabia. despiteitbeingasupremepower?
5.7kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 17 Downvote Comment

DanielCohort,ComputerprofessionalinChina
WrittenJun24,2015

Russiaisoverwhelminglypowerful!Itistheonlycountryintheworldthatcouldfaceup
totheU.Swithmilitaryoffensivescondemnedbythewholeworld.ThestrengthofRussian
militaryisoneofthetopreasonswhyChinachoosesRussiaasherfriendandally.

However,Russiaeconomydoesnothavebrightprospectsduetothefallingoilpriceand
U.Ssanctions.Russiawilllose1/3ofitsGDPthisyearandit'sgoingtotakeatleastanother
yearforittorecover.BecauseofRussian'sunderperformingeconomysincethecollapseof
theSovietUnion,itsmilitaryisnotfullyoperativeandlosingitscompetitiveadvantagesto
newlyemergingcountrieslikeChina.Forexample,Russiannavydoesnothaveenough
fundingtoplanandbuildnewsurfacevessels.Eventhe2000toneType20385Frigate
wascancelled.IfRussianscouldnotsolvetheirmoneyproblems,we'llseeChinaovertake
RussiaasthemostpowerfulmilitaryinEurasiancontinentinthenexttwodecades.

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11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
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Upvote 7 Downvote Comments 1+

ShivamPatel,Idream'foreIAm.Excelsior,Altruism,WordArtist
,Mozillian,TravelGeek.
WrittenOct31

TheRussianmilitarysufferedyearsofneglectaftertheSovietcollapseandno
longercaststheshadowofaglobalsuperpower.However,theRussianarmedforcesarein
themidstofahistoricoverhaulwithsignificantconsequencesforEurasianpoliticsand
security.RussianofficialssaythereformsarenecessarytobringaColdWareramilitary
intothetwentyfirstcentury,butmanyWesternanalystsfeartheywillenableMoscowto
pursueamoreaggressiveforeignpolicy,oftenrelyingonforcetocoerceitsweaker
neighbors.SomesayRussianinterventionsinGeorgiain2008andUkrainein2014both
formerSovietrepublicsseekingclosertiestotheWestdemonstratethatPresident
VladimirPutinispreparedtousemilitaryforcetoreestablishRussianhegemonyinitsnear
abroad.

WhatareRussianconventionalmilitarycapabilities?

Bothintermsoftroopsandweapons,Russianconventionalforcesdwarfthoseofits
EasternEuropeanandCentralAsianneighbors(seeTable1),manyofwhicharerelatively
weakexSovietrepublicscloselyalliedwithMoscow.Russiahasamilitarypactwith
Armenia,Belarus,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,andTajikistanthroughtheCollectiveSecurity
TreatyOrganization,formedin1992.Moscowalsostationssignificanttroopsinthe
region:Armenia(3,200),GeorgiasbreakawayregionsofAbkhaziaandSouthOssetia
(7,000),MoldovasseparatistTransnistriaregion(1,500),Kyrgyzstan(500),andTajikistan
(5,000).

Table1

Aspartofdefensereforms,mostRussiangroundforcesaretobeprofessionalizedand
reorganizedintoformationsofafewthousandtroopsforlowandmediumintensity
conflicts.Butfortheforeseeablefuturemanywillremainoneyearconscriptswithlimited
training(militaryserviceiscompulsoryforRussianmenagedeighteentotwentyseven).
TheAirborneAssaultForces,whichcomprisesaboutthirtyfivethousandtroopsand
whosecommanderanswersdirectlytoPutin,isRussiaselitecrisisreactionforce.ASpecial
OperationsCommand,alsoareserveofPutin,wascreatedin2013tomanagespecial
operatorsoutsideRussianborders.

MoscowisintentonremilitarizingitsArcticterritoryandisrestoringSovieteraairfields
andportstohelpprotectimportanthydrocarbonresourcesandshippinglanes(Russiahas
theworldslargestfleetoficebreakers,whichareregularlyrequiredtonavigatethese
waters.)Inlate2013,Putinorderedthecreationofanewstrategicmilitarycommandin
theRussianArctic.

Figure1

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11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora

Meanwhile,rearmamenthasbeenslow,andmuchofthemilitarysequipmentremains
decadesold.TheonceformidableSovietnavyisnowlittlemorethanacoastalprotection
force,expertssay.Allofthenavyslargevessels,includingitsflagshipandsoleaircraft
carrier,thenonnuclearKuznetsov,areholdoversfromtheColdWar.(Bycomparison,the
UnitedStateshastennuclearcarriersandbuildsseveralnewwarshipseachyear.)Russian
airpowerwillalsobelimited,atleastintheshortterm.AircraftmanufacturerSukhoiis
developingseveralnewadvancedwarplanes,includingafifthgenerationstealthfighter
(theT50),butproductionhasbeensluggishinsomecases,andmostofthecurrentair
forcedatesfromthe1980s.

Russiahasmadethemodernizationofitsairandspacedefensesatoppriorityofthe
rearmamentprogram,establishingaconsolidatedAerospaceDefenseCommandin2011.
ThemainstayofthisdefensenetworkistheS400,alongtomediumrangesurfacetoair
missilesystem,tobedeployednearMoscowandstrategicpositionsalongRussias
perimeter.AmoreadvancedS500isindevelopment.

WhatareRussiannuclearcapabilities?

RussiasvastnucleararsenalremainsonparwiththeUnitedStatesandisthecountrys
onlyresidualgreatpowerfeature,militaryexpertssay.Moscowhasabout1,500strategic
warheadsondeployedintercontinentalballisti...(more)
Upvote 2 Downvote Comment

AbhishekChoudhary
UpdatedNov4

LetmegivethelatestwarstrategyofRussia.

Afterathoroughwarplan&takingthepermissionfromallintermediatecountriesATC,
Hedidthis:

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11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora

HeplacedthewarshipintheCaspianseaequippedwithCruisemissilewhosespecification
wasunknowntotheworld.Now,mostofthecountrycanteverimagineofairstrikedone
farfrom1400km!andthattoowithsomuchaccuracyandconsistency.Thisleftthe
neighboringNATOcountriesofRussiainworry.

footagereleasedbyRussianarmy,RTnews&CNN:

Thiswasmostlethalbunkerbusterthermobaricbomb:(lookslikenuke)

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MoreoverRussia,indirectly,wasdestroyingtheUSfundedweapons!!

ThisishowPutinshowedtoworld,especiallytheUS,thatSovietsuperpowerisstillalive
orcomingsoon.

PS:BothUSA&Russiaaresuperiorinmilitaryexercises,skillsandstrategy!!!Andweget
toknowonlythosethings,whattheywantustoknow.Muchofthethingsare
classified.
151.6kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 3.6k Downvote Comments 14+

AlexJouravlev,From0to30inRussia.Alongtimeago.
UpdatedApr29,2014

AtthisstageRussiaisnowherenearaspowerfulisUSA.Sure,USAisdoingagoodjobin
reducingitsownpower.Russiahowevercanbeseeninreducingitspowerquicker,in
differentways.

Russiamadeadisastrousdecisionin1991tokeepconscriptioninsteadofkeepingall
trainedandexperiencedcareermilitary.Plus,thedecadeoflittlefunding,lossofMykolaiv
andpartiallySevastopoltoUkraine,arestillaffectingequipmentavailability.

RussiaisnowherenearofbeenabletochallengeUSdirectly.However,RussianNuclear
ForcesaretheguaranteethatRussiacandopracticallyanymischiefwithoutriskingan
attackagainstRussiaproper.AndRussiaisstillstrongenoughtodefeatpracticallyanyUS
allyexceptforUKandFrance,andrichandsophisticatedenoughtoprovidearms
sufficienttooffsetthebalanceofpoweralmostanywhere.

TherecentwaragainstGeorgiaisanindicationofhowRussiacanuseitsmusclestofoil
US/EUplans.

Added:asIsuggestedsomewhereelseonQuora,inmilitarypowerprojectionRussiais
closetoreaching10%ofUScapacitytheyneedtogettheirsolecarrierbackinorder,
solveothereconomycausedproblems,togetthere.
6.2kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 10 Downvote Comments 2

MonsoorChoudhury,Music/Guitar,Autofreak
WrittenNov1

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11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
RussiasmilitarycampaigninSyriaseemstohavechangedPresidentBarackObamas
opinionofitsarmedforces.Henowsaysitsthesecondmostpowerfulmilitaryinthe
world.TwoyearsagohelabeledMoscowasnothingmorethanaregionalpower.

InDecember,RussiatargetedISmilitantsinRaqqawithKalibrlandattackcruisemissiles
launchedfromasubmarineintheMediterraneanSea.

The3M54KalibrmissileswerelaunchedfromtheKiloclassdieselelectricsubmarine
RostovonDon.

TheSyrianconflicthasgivenMoscowthechancetoshowoffsomeofitslatesthardwarein
activecombatforthefirsttime.AmongstRussiasfighterjetsattheKhmeimimAirBasein
LatakiaistheSu35.

Inthefuture,afleetofheavytransportaircraftwillreportedlybecapableofmovinga
strategicunitof400Armatatanks,withammunition,toanywhereintheworld.And
probablyathypersonicspeed,enablingRussiatomountaglobalmilitaryresponse.

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7.8kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 71 Downvote Comment

BorisPazin
WrittenApr21,2014

BothRussiaandUSAareoverpoweredforthisplanet.BothofthemcoulddestroyEarth
severaltimes,somilitaryconflictdoesn'tmakesense.Bettertoworktogetheronpeaceand
allkindsofcooperation.

Andwhynot,inthefuturebringbothUkraineandRussiatoEUandNATO.Thatsounds
naivenow,butafterfallofcommunismtherearenomorebasicideologyreasonsfor
Russiatostayawayfromotherdemocraticcountries.

Russiaisdemocraticcountrynow,atleastinconstitution.It'sfarfromperfect,butthey
haveelections,theyhaveparties,ruleoflawetc.Lotofcorruptiontoo,butIsupposethat
willslowlygotobetterinthefuture.
2.9kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 12 Downvote Comments 2+

KenNakagama,Beenthereacrossthewholecountryandthroughout
Europe
WrittenJul3,2014

RecenteventshaveallowedalotmoreanalysisandattentiontoRussiancapability.

Russiahasnothadacleansheetfighterdesigninover50years.Thesemistealthjetisa
streamlineddesignfrombeforemostpeopleontheplanetwereborn.
Whathasstayedmodernistheelectronics.Thistechnologyhasmostlybeenimported
fromFranceandItaly.

EnginetechnologyisbetterthantheChinese,butatleast1/3lessreliableandefficientasa
Westernfighter.MostallofthecommercialofferingsutilizewesternenginesandEuropean
avionicsandsystems.

Asforcost,theactualcosttoproduceisupto1/3thecostofmostofthewest.Thewest
hasitsownuniquecorruptionbakedintoaproduct.Russiaontheotherhand,.
corruptionhasactuallygottensignificantlyworsethanthepast.

WecancallthisaperiodofKremlinoligarchbubble,wheretypicalcrimemayhavebeen
cleanedupformostcitizens,butthecorruptionatthetop40%isapartofbusiness.

Despiteotherfactors,Russia'smostmodernsubmarinewillcostover$2.2B+,which
remarkstothenewestwesterndesignsinthe$11.7Brange.Wecanpresumeeveryone
cooksthebookstotheiradvantagewhichmakesRussiannumbersevenmoreofsurprise.

WhatisRussia'sstrengths?
1)UNSecurityCouncilsets,allowingagreatdealofcontrol
2)Completecontrolofmediaandabilitytochangedomesticandpublicimpressionof
issuesandcircumstancesatwill.
3)Legalcontrolofthepopulation,eliminatingfreespeechandorganizationsinternally
seekingchange.
4)PowerofWill,wherethereislittletransparencyandprocesssoprojectsandtasksget
accomplished.
5)Brilliantstrategytospendbudgetsmorewiselythatdon'trequiresignificanttechnology
oreventheneedtofireashot.
6)Oil,Gasandotherresources,especiallytitanium

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11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
7)Europeantradedependenceandlocality.
8)TheworldisafraidofRussia,asithasforthelast100years
9)RussiahasabettercyberforcethantheUSandEuropecombined

Budgetsandripplingmusclesalonedonotwinwars.

ForceonForceoveralongprotractedwar,Russiawouldeventuallysuccumb.
Inshortcontrolledandnonconventionalsituations,Russiaismorelikelytowin.

Russianpopulationisshrinkingfasterthananycountryonthecontinent,whichwill
developcertainproblemsofitsownthatapowerfulmilitarycan'tsolve.

NewRussiacompletelyembarrassedthewestinGeorgiaandCrimea,itsnotstopping
soon.
3.1kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 6 Downvote Comment

RogerSchwarzkopf,Parachuteskimarine
WrittenDec13,2014

USandtheentireAngloSaxonworldthatwearetrainedtorefertoas"democratic"and
"firstworld"aredebtorswhohaveneitherequitynorintentionofpayingofftheirdebts
northewilltolettheircolonies(therestoftheworld)go.

UScanprintasmanyzeroesasitwishesinordertolookimpressiveinChasePursley's
charts(ChasePursley'sanswertoHowpowerfulisRussia?),butithasnothingofvalue
behindthesezeroes.It'saPonzischemeheldtogetherbythefactthattheworldisstill
usingUSD.This"greatness"dependsonthebalanceofintimidationandhypocrisy.

Russia,incontrast,hasnegligibledebtandnointentionofbeingeitheracolonynora
colonialist.Itwantstobeleftalonetodobusinesswithneighbors.

Ithashighlycapablearmedforcesbroughtuptodie_defending_theMotherland(as
opposedtotheUSmercenariessenttopillagerandomcountries),naturalresources,
functionalinfrastructure,nationalstrategy,andthegrowing(Ibetit'snotwidelyreported)
populationofpeoplewhocansurvivethroughcalamitiesthattheconsumeristsocietyof
theWestisunabletoimagine,letaloneendure.

Russianwealthisnotmeasuredindollars,becausemeasuringindollars=contributingto
theUSPonzischeme.

ThinkoftheUSasAthensandRussiaasSpartaaround431BC.
2kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 14 Downvote Comment

VyacheslavShengur,I'mRussian!
WrittenJan18

Dearfriends,Icouldnotleavetheissueunaddressed.Forme,thistopicisveryexciting,
becauseImyselfRussian.Mycountry.WouldyoumindifIcallherso?

So,mycountrythelargestbyareaintheworld.Itisafact.Weloveherverymuch,soin
theyearsofWorldWarII,ourgrandfatherswerereadyandgavetheirlivesforit.Butwe
donotwantwar,welivedthenandnowquietly.Calmlywegotowork,studying,doing
choresandraisechildren.

Youcanfindtheofficialinformationonthecompositionofthearms,theirnumberandthe
numberofunitsofthearmiesoftheworldtounderstandhowstrongRussia.I'llevenshow
Listofcountriesbynumberofmilitaryandparamilitarypersonnel .Butitwouldbea
lie.Doyouknowwhy?

BecauseRussiaisnotstrongnumber,andaspiritthatcannotbemeasured,manyofour
actionsarenotdictatedbylogic,andlove.Understand,wedonotwanttofight,donot
makeanassessmentofmilitarycapabilities,wewantpeace,sothefirstcountrytohave
startedtofightterroristswidelywedetriment.

Thankyouforattention.
1kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 4 Downvote Comment 1

Anonymous
WrittenDec31,2014

https://www.quora.com/HowpowerfulisRussia 11/14
11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
RussiaisnomatchfortheUSAinanythingexceptmilitarydeterrence.Anditwillremain
likethatforforeseeablefuture.

ButonethingImustadmitis,theirNucleararsenalaretheguaranteethattheycanget
awaywithanymischiefwithoutriskingabacklash,somethingnootherenemyofWestwill
everdare.Eg.annexationofCrimea.

IcannotforevenonceimaginecountrieslikeIranorNorthKoreaorevenBrazilor
Pakistangettingawayunpunished,iftheydidsomethingthathurttheUSinterests.

Also,theyhaveenoughmuscletofoilanyplanoftheUSAintheirimmediate
neighborhood.

OtherthanthatRussiaisnomatchforevenAustraliaorCanada.Russiaispowerful
enoughtosurvivenomatterwhat.Justnotpowerfulenoughtoassertitsinfluencelikethe
USAcan/does.
2.1kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 4 Downvote Comment

MarinKatusa,chiefinvestmentstrategist,authorofTheColderWar
WrittenOct17,2014

Russiaisanewglobalsuperpower.Howitcameaboutandwhatitmeansforthefuture
arespelledoutinthebook,TheColderWar.
2.2kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 6 Downvote Comment

JohnStewart,Professor
WrittenApr9

RussiacouldpotentiallybeateverynatomembercombinedbesidesUSA,militaryspending
doesnotsayhowstronganationis,forexamplesaudiarabisspendsalotbutisnowhere
closetochina.

AlotofeuropeanshaveastrongdislikeforUSAandeventheimmigrantcrisisistearing
europeapart.Whataboutawarwiththe2ndmostpowerfulcountryintheworld?Russia
hasthestrongestnukesintheworldtoo.USAwouldnotbeabletodefendeuropeproperly
duetodistanceandRussiahasalotofalliesincentralAmericathatwouldactaswell
(Guatemala,Venezuela,Cubaetc)maybeevenBrazilandMexicowouldjoininonRussia's
side.

USAwouldprobablyhavetheirhandsfullwithNorthKorea,orpotentiallyIndia,and
China.USAisthemosthatednationintheworldbyfar.AninvasiononUSsoilisunlikely
buttheywillprobablybeforcedtorepaytheirendlessdebtstoChina.Atthispointit'ssafe
tosayChinaownsUSAeconomically.TheUSAstoppedtheirproductionandreliessolely
oncheaplabourincountrieswhereit'scheaper.

SoithinkUSAdaysasworldleaderareoverandtheBRICSwillrise,amilitary
confrontationwouldmeanafasterendtoUSinfluenceworldwide.
704ViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 2 Downvote Comment

LucaPopescu
WrittenMay1,2014

Russiaisamilitarypowerfulforcetoreckonwith.Butonlywithinitsterritory.However,
rememberthatthereare350milslavsoverallwheretherussianlanguageiswidelyspoken.
Withlanguagecomesacertainemotionalaffiliation.LikeinAmericawheretheEnglish
commonlanguagebondsalargevarietyofetnicbackgrounds.
Thatistheforcethatisimportant.
Also,anymilitarythathasaccesstoadvancedweaponrybutdoesnothavethesouland
mindtouseitproperlyagainstsomeonesofarawayfromhomeisnotamatchforany
militarywithlesserweaponrybutwhodefendshispeopleanditslands...
2.8kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 3 Downvote Comments 3+

DennisSchetinin
UpdatedMar7,2015

Mostofthethings(excludingsomeabsolutelyunfaithfulones)arecorrectornearly
correct.Tosumup:RussiadoesnotlookpowerfulcomparedtoUSA(BTW,isthatan
idealforeveryone,Iwonder?!).Butifwearetalkingaboutthe"direct"meaningofthe

https://www.quora.com/HowpowerfulisRussia 12/14
11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
word"power",justtrytoextrapolatesomehistory.Backinthebeginningon19thcentury
RussialookednotevenclosetothepowerofFrance.Whatwasthefinalresultin1812(and
thenin1814)?Bythe1941,USSRwasinaverysimilarsituation:weak(thoughraising
economy),(relatively)poorpeople,notsogoodarmy(hardlywontheFinnishwar),nearly
nofriends,etc.etc.etc..WhocouldbelieveUSSRmayresistGermanyatthattime?!Well,
youknowtheresult.

So,Iwouldsay:nobodyknowshowpowerfulisRussia.evenrussians:)

"Powerisnotmoney",isit?
1.7kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 12 Downvote Comment 1

AlexandreDC
WrittenOct25,2015

RussiahasnukesmyfriendandroketsthatcouldflyAlloceantoreachittargetthatswhy
AmericawontprovokeitbecausewillbeWorldWar3asaboutarmyRussiahas
powerfullarmyandtankslooktoRussianHistoryRussiaalwayswinwarsbysmart
MoveRussianHistoryRussianeverlooseanywarthatshewastoWorldWar2Million
ofsoldiersdiedtoprotecttheylandtheyactuallydiditWithBritishandAmericashelp
674ViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 3 Downvote Comment

Answersthatneedimprovement

DaniilIshchenko,Russianbusinessownerandconservative.
WrittenMay18,2015
Enoughtoliveonitsowneconomically.
Enoughnottobefuckedwithmilitary.
Notenoughculturally.
75Views

Upvote Downvote Comment

ThakurSingh,RUSSIAANDITSCAPACITY
WrittenOct29
RUSSIAITSMORETHANPOWERFULTHANWETHINK

AskorSearchQuora AskQuestion Read Answer Notifications Aditya

1View

Upvote Downvote Comment

Answerscollapsedbydownvotes

KashikoiMeiyo
WrittenNov21,2013
RussiaistheonlycountrythatcanleveledtheUSin30minuteshoweveritdependson
howyoumeasurepower

https://www.quora.com/HowpowerfulisRussia 13/14
11/10/2016 HowpowerfulisRussia?Quora
1.2kViewsViewUpvotes

Upvote 8 Downvote Comment

Anonymous
WrittenSep26,2013
MorepowerfulthanUS?Areyoustoned?
209Views

Upvote Downvote Comment 1

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