With US funding for Ukraine still in limbo, European allies are trying to ramp up their support as Russia mounts new strikes.
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Russia is preparing for a large-scale conventional conflict with NATO, according to the Institute for the Study of War, based on an analysis of several Russian financial, economic, and military indicators.
The think tank explains that while any such conflict won’t happen imminently, Russia is likely planning on a shorter timeline than some Western analysts have previously posited.
The Russian military is undertaking structural reforms to simultaneously support the war in Ukraine while expanding its conventional capabilities in preparation for a potential future conflict with NATO.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has outlined several ongoing efforts to bolster Russia’s conventional military capabilities, claiming that the Russian military plans to form two combined arms armies and 14 divisions, and 16 brigades by the end of 2024.
However, ISW's assessment is that Russia currently lacks the manpower, military infrastructure, and training capacity to properly staff the divisions and formations it will need in the short to medium term.