Russia is entering a period of severe military exhaustion. What was presented for years as a demonstration of strength is gradually revealing another reality — a massive military machine that requires ever greater resources while facing an increasing number of problems within Russia itself.
The war is consuming money, equipment, ammunition, fuel and manpower. Russian industry is being forced to work in support of the front, while the state budget carries an enormous and continuous military burden. The longer the war continues, the more resources are required simply to maintain the system that has already been created.
But military decline is not visible only at the front. It is becoming increasingly apparent in the rear. Russia’s enormous territory must be protected from air attacks. That requires air-defense systems, radar networks, aircraft, personnel and ammunition. Yet it is impossible to provide dense protection over every city, industrial facility, military site, refinery and transport hub at the same time.
This is where one of the fundamental weaknesses of the Russian military system becomes visible. Every resource committed to the front is a resource that cannot be used to protect the rear. Every air-defense system has limited capabilities. Every military unit cannot be in several places at once.
And when attacks begin reaching Russian territory, one fact becomes increasingly difficult to ignore: there is no absolute shield. Facilities that were once considered far removed from the war can come under threat. Fires, infrastructure damage and disruptions at strategic facilities create an additional burden for the state.
This is what military exhaustion looks like. Not the sudden disappearance of an army, but the gradual erosion of its ability to do everything at once.
Russia still possesses a large military, missiles and significant industrial capabilities. But at the same time, the number of areas that must be controlled and protected continues to grow.
The Russian military system is increasingly forced to spend resources not only on waging the war, but also on dealing with the consequences of that war inside its own territory.
And this is the essence of its gradual military decline: not the sudden collapse of its armed forces, but continuous exhaustion. Rising costs. More vulnerabilities that have to be covered. More problems that require resources.
Military power is not measured only by the number of missiles, tanks or soldiers a country possesses. It is also measured by its ability to wage war, protect its rear and maintain stability over time.
And that endurance is becoming one of Russia’s greatest challenges.
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