Russia-Ukraine war: Here is a firepower comparison
Russia's armed forces outnumber and outgun Ukraine's, but as Russia launches what could be a large-scale invasion. Ukraine's army is also better trained and equipped than in 2014, when Russia took the Crimean peninsula without a fight.
FollowRussia's armed forces outnumber and outgun Ukraine's, but as Russia launches what could be a large-scale invasion. Ukraine's army is also better trained and equipped than in 2014, when Russia took the Crimean peninsula without a fight.
Let's take a look at the statistics:
Russia has nearly 850,000 active personnel, more than three times Ukraine's 250,000. In terms of airpower, Russia has over 4,100 aircraft, including 772 fighters, while Ukraine has only 318 total aircraft, including 69 fighter aircraft, according to various media reports.
Similarly, Russia has approximately 12,500 tanks and over 30,000 armoured vehicles, while Ukraine has approximately 2,600 tanks and 12,000 armoured vehicles. While Russia has approximately 14,000 towed and self-propelled artillery guns, Ukraine has slightly more than 3,000.
Ukraine has volunteer territorial defence units and approximately 900,000 reservists in addition to the regular army. Most adult males have at least basic military training, so Russia may face obstinate and protracted resistance if it attempts to capture and hold territory.
Various reports suggest that although navies are unlikely to come into direct contact in this conflict, Russia has over 600 naval vessels, including one aircraft carrier, compared to Ukraine's total of 38 naval vessels. Russia has 70 submarines with stealth capabilities, while Ukraine has none.
Ukraine, on the other hand, had been arming itself with anti-tank missiles obtained from the US. Since December, Ukraine has received hundreds of Javelin missiles, which will aid Ukrainian troops in targeting Russian tanks. It is a man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile, which means it can be fired from a soldier's shoulder, and its automatic infrared guidance system will target tanks from above, which is the weakest part of any tank.
Turkey has sold several batches of Bayraktar TB2 drones to Kyiv, which it has used to fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
In January, Britain reportedly supplied Ukraine with 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles and dispatched British experts to provide training. It also supplied Saxon armoured vehicles.
Estonia has stated that it will send Javelin anti-armour missiles, while Latvia and Lithuania will provide Stinger missiles. The Czech Republic has announced its intention to donate 152mm artillery ammunition. Germany has ruled out sending arms to Ukraine but has agreed to fund a $6 million field hospital and training.
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's Defence Minister, had been tweeting about the incoming military supplies from various Western powers, including Javelin missiles, tonnes of ammunition, rifles and machine guns with optical sights, night vision and surveillance systems, and other military equipment.
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