Russia announces ‘major military structure changes’ to boost combat capabilities

After facing months of setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has announced plans for the Russian Armed Forces to undergo “major changes” to the military structure. The changes to be undertaken from 2023 to 2026 will include not only a transformation to the Russian military’s composition but also administrative reforms.

According to the Russian MoD, the reform will be undertaken in order to strengthen the combat capabilities of the Russian Federation’s naval, strategic missile and aerospace forces.  

Furthermore, Moscow plans to boost the strength of its military personnel to 1.5 million, Nikkei Asia reported. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated, “Only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces is it possible to guarantee the military security of the state and protect new entities and critical facilities of the Russian Federation.”  

Russia cites West-led “proxy war” as the catalyst

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov cited the changes to be undertaken as an outcome of the “proxy war” being conducted by Western powers in Ukraine. According to Peskov, the West’s support for Kyiv in the form of supply of increasingly heavy weaponry to help Ukrainian forces counter Russia’s offensive has prompted Moscow’s bid to shake up the Russian Armed Forces.  

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began with its announcement to conduct a special military operation on 24 February 2022 has faced sharp criticism from both domestic as well as the global community. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry, which earlier vowed to capture swathes of Ukrainian land, vowed in December 2022 to boost the strength of its military service members to 1.5 million.

Russia’s bid to undertake the ‘major changes’ to its military seems to have started with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announcing last week, the appointment of General Valery Gerasimov as the new commander of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Gen Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the military general staff succeeded Gen Sergei Surovikin, Commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces.

Meanwhile, the Office of the UN high commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) revealed on Monday that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in up to 7,000 civilian casualties so far since February 2022. As per the OHCHR, a total of 7,031 civilian deaths could be confirmed while the actual casualty tolls may be “considerably higher” given pending corroboration of mounting reports from areas which are inaccessible amid the war.