The Evolution of the Russian Military - Its Strengths and Shortfalls in 2026 (With Michael Kofman)

The Russian military has undergone a significant, albeit paradoxical, transformation since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Initially designed for short-duration conflicts with minimal infantry, the force suffered from flawed strategic assumptions regarding precision strikes and the political will for mobilization. Senior Fellow Michael Kofman explains how Russia shifted toward a grinding, artillery-centric model, bolstered by massive recruitment and the integration of drone-based reconnaissance-strike complexes. Despite achieving greater force density and improved coordination of electronic warfare and fires, the Russian military struggles to execute large-scale mechanized maneuvers due to high attrition and diminished troop quality. Ultimately, the conflict has evolved into a stalemate where Russian material advantages are consistently offset by Ukrainian tactical innovations, forcing a reliance on persistent, small-scale infiltration tactics rather than the decisive operational breakthroughs originally envisioned by Russian planners.