Putin Has Transformed Russian Army Into A Lean, Mean Fighting Machine -- Washington Times
Military well-prepared for Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin has turned a once-moribund Russian military into a lean, quick-strike force that can invade Chechnya, Georgia and now Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.
Under Mr. Putin, Russia has developed the world’s third-largest defense budget, at $70 billion. The underpaid army of post-Cold War conscripts has given way to special operations troops and experienced guns for hire, some of whom showed up in Crimea in not readily identifiable uniforms. Overall, headquarters have been consolidated and soldiers fight out of brigades, not large divisions.
Mr. Putin, who has lamented the end of the Soviet empire, is using Russia’s energy riches to buy military technology overseas such as communications networks and drones. Germany, its eastern half once ruled by Stalinist countrymen, built for Russia a sophisticated training center for infantry units that can simulate an array of war scenarios, such as invading a neighbor.
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My Comment: They learned from their mistakes in Georgia .... and they have spent a lot of money to have a professional army. And while I am sure that the Russian military is ready to intervene in regions like Crimea .... handling bigger regions (like the rest of Ukraine) .... may be a "bridge too far".
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