What key weapons can Russia still bring to bear against Ukraine after years of war?

Russia has been battling to conquer Ukraine for more than two years and it has lost lots of men and material in the process. But that doesn’t mean Moscow is anywhere close to being out of the fight. The Kremlin can still draw on a powerful military force to win the war. 

What exactly Russia can still bring to bear against Ukraine is difficult to know but we do have a few sources that can shed some light on what Moscow still has in its war arsenal for use in Ukraine. Let’s start with a look at how many troops are still in play in Ukraine. 

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When it comes to infantry, this is one area where Russia has a major edge over Ukraine because of its larger population size. However, the Kremlin has suffered a large number of casualties that impact the number of soldiers Moscow can bring to bear against Kyiv. 

The Ukrainian General Staff reported on March 31st that Russia had lost 442,170 troops since the invasion began. However, other more reliable estimates from Western sources have indicated that the Kremlin hasn’t lost nearly the amount claimed by the Ukrainians.  

For example, in February 2024, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense reported that approximately 350,000 Russian troops had been killed or wounded since the start of the war. This is still a high number and represents nearly all of Russia's initial invasion force. 

Russia began the war with approximately 360,000 soldiers according to the figures from the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI), a British-based think tank, and by June 2023, Russia upped its soldier count to roughly 410,000 service members. 

As of February 2024, the Russian Operational Group of Forces fighting in Ukraine and the occupied territories was approximately 470,000 soldiers according to the think tank, which is a figure quoted also by the Congressional Research Service and Ukrainian sources. 

“If we talk about what has changed during this time, it is the size of the deployed military group on our territory… the ground component, the land part of the group located on the territory of Ukraine, consists of approximately 470,000,” Major General Vadym Skibitskyi told Interfax Ukraine in February 2024. 

However, in January 2024, Vladimir Putin stated that Russia had over 600,000 military personnel in Ukraine. The real figure is likely closer to the 470,000 mark but that is still a lot of manpower being brought to bear against Ukraine with what key equipment Russia has left in its arsenals. 

Russia has lost 2,700 tanks since the war began according to the UK Defence Ministry but the ​​International Institute for Strategic Studies' 2024 Military Balance report has noted Russia still has 1,750 tanks left (200 being T-90 models) with about 4,000 in its reserves. 

Moscow has 4,050 infantry fighting vehicles and more than 4,700 armored personnel carriers available to ferry troops into battle and support its armored offensives. RUSI projections were similar and noted Russia had about 7,080 armored fighting vehicles in total.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0

Known as the Kremlin’s “god of war” according to Newsweek, Russian artillery was down to just 4,397 guns of various makes and models according to the 2024 Military Balance report projected. RUSI estimates were slightly higher, noting that Russia had “4,780 barrel artillery pieces.”

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0

In terms of aircraft, RUSI projected that Russia still had 290 helicopters, of which 110 were attack helicopters while the 2024 Military Balance reported Moscow had far more with 340 attack helicopters and 307 of the heavy transport variety.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Artem Katranzhi, CC BY-SA 2.0

The most dangerous element of the Russian air arsenal is its fixed-wing aircraft, which Moscow still has a large number to draw on according to RUSI. It pegged Russian air power at about 310 fast jets. But there is more to airpower than just fast fighter jets. 

The 2024 Military Balance estimated that Russia still had a fixed-wing aircraft fleet of 1,169. This included 129 bombers, 188 fighters, and 257 dedicated ground attack jets as well as 433 fighter ground attack planes—208 of which were under the Russian Navy.

In terms of naval units, Newsweek noted that Russia began the war with 80 vessels in the Black Sea Fleet and added that Ukraine has claimed to have destroyed 27 of those ships and forced at least 15 into drydock for repairs following a variety of attacks. 

This list does not include the many other systems and weapons needed for the war. For example, Russia may still have ample missile and drone stocks for its aerial attacks on Ukraine. But those numbers are more difficult to find accurate information on. 

In terms of artillery ammunition, Russia might be producing as many as 250,000 shells a month according to a March 2024 CNN report. That number, coupled with the troop and equipment numbers Russia still has available, paints a fairly bleak picture for Ukraine. 

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