From ground troops to fighter aircraft, a look at military capabilities of Russia and Ukraine

On Thursday, Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine. Big explosions were heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa as world leaders decried the start of an invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law, saying Russia has targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure. He urged Ukrainians to stay home and not to panic.

As Russia digs deep into Ukraine, how do Ukraine’s military capabilities compare to those of Russia?

Here’s what you need to know.

How big is Ukraine’s defence forces?

According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies {IISS}, Ukraine has 196,600 active military personnel. The personnel are split into 125,600 ground troops, 35,000 air personnel and 15,000 naval troops.

Ukraine also has 900,000 reservists — including paramilitary militias. However, how experienced or well-trained they are is a question that concerns all.

Most of Ukraine’s firepower is land-based, with the country boasting more than 2,000 tanks, 1,960 artillery pieces and 2,870 armoured vehicles.

Troops also have around 400 surface-to-air missile launchers that could take out Russian aircraft and access to NATO lethal aid, including 2,000 anti-tank weapons donated by the UK.

File image of members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces train, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP

Its air power consists of 146 attack aircraft and 42 attack helicopters.

Ukraine has just two warships.

Ukraine boasts of a defence budget of between $2 billion to $5 billion.

Size of Russia’s defence troops

Russia’s military vastly outguns that of Ukraine, with a budget of between $40 billion to $65 billion.

The Vladimir Putin-led country has around 900,000 active military personnel and two million reservists.

Its active force includes 280,000 soldiers, 165,000 air personnel and 150,000 naval troops.

The Russian army has more than 13,000 tanks, just under 6,000 artillery pieces and close to 20,000 armoured vehicles.

The Russian army has more than 13,000 tanks. AP

It also has the added advantage of long-range weaponry — it possesses more than 500 land-based ballistic missile launchers.

When it comes to aircraft, the country has 1,328 attack planes and more than 470 attack helicopters.

At sea, its 74 warships and 51 submarines dwarf Ukraine’s tiny fleet.

Experience matters

Defence experts state that it’s not just the number of troops both sides possess that matters in this conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The experience and training that these troops have received also matter, they note.

Ukraine's forces have gained combat experience in the Donbas region in the east of the country, where they have been fighting Russia-backed separatists since 2014, and are highly motivated.

Moreover, most adult males have received basic military training in Ukraine, which will make it only more difficult for Russia if they continue to hold on to territory.

On the other hand, Russia’s military troops have also had plenty of it over the last decade as a result of its involvement in Syria’s civil war, where it has propped up the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

How’s the West helping Ukraine?

The Western powers have been extending aid to Ukraine.

Since 2014, the United States has provided more than $2.5 billion in military aid to Kyiv, in the form of Javelin anti-tank missiles, coastal patrol boats, Humvees, sniper rifles, reconnaissance drones, radar systems, night vision and radio equipment.

In addition to the US, Turkey has also sold Kyiv several batches of Bayraktar TB2 drones.

News agency Reuters reported that Britain provided Ukraine with 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles in January and sent British specialists to deliver training. It has also provided Saxon armoured vehicles.

Germany has ruled out arms deliveries to Ukraine but is co-financing a $6-million field hospital and providing training.

With inputs from agencies

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