Russia has built itself up as a dominant military superpower since the 1700s. Aside from the United States, Russia’s military was seen as one of the most feared in military history—that was until their total invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The War in Ukraine has been nothing short of a disaster for Russia. Wanting to demilitarize Kyiv and force it into vassalage and its more affluent regions into annexation, Moscow’s imperial goals have faltered as Ukraine is now even more armed, willing to fight to the death, and has been given a path of NATO membership post-war

The Aura of its Military Prowess

Ever since the end of the Second World War, the world has feared Russia’s capabilities and vast resources that it could use to wage wars on multiple fronts akin to battles against Germany and Japan in 1945. So when the Soviet Union disbanded, the Kremlin worked hard to maintain its aura out of fear by displaying military prowess against former vassal states who dared to defy them.

Russia’s once-feared military has been under question and, at times, mocked. Where the world feared the nation in conflicts in Chechnya, Georgia, and Syria, Russia’s prowess has faded in Ukraine.