10 Most Powerful Militaries in the World in 2023

2. Russia

GDP: $2,062 billion

Defense spending: $82.6 billion

Manpower: 830,900

Tanks: 12,566

Nuclear warheads: 6,255

Aircrafts including fighter jets: 4,173

Naval vessels: 598

Russia’s military reputation may have taken a hammering in Ukraine, but it still managed to retain its spot as the second most powerful military in the world, ahead of China. This is due to the vast fleet of tanks and fighter jets it has compared to China. Moscow’s nuclear warheads count of 6,255 is also nearly 18 times higher than China’s 350.

However, experts believe that Russia’s woes in Ukraine showcased the limitations of its military capabilities, and it is a matter of time before it is surpassed by China. Despite outnumbering the Ukrainians forces and possessing a material advantage, Russia is yet to find its way in the conflict. This is largely due to much of its fleet and weapons being outdated, coupled with disastrous logistics and Western military aid to Ukraine.

Moving on to space, Russia has 102 military satellites in orbit, the third most for any country after the U.S. and China. On the cyber side of things, Russia has been accused of waging multiple sophisticated cyber attacks, in particular against Ukraine, over the last few years. It received a score of 71.43 out of 100 in the 2022 Cyber Security Index.