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The authors of this report draw on Russian-language sources to examine trends in Russian personnel policies and initiatives from the 1990s through December 2021, prior to Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. They review the pervasive challenges within the Russian military to modernizing its personnel policies and evaluate reform efforts of the late 2000s through 2021, when major military reforms were implemented.

Russian Military Personnel Policy and Proficiency

Reforms and Trends, 1991–2021

Anika Binnendijk, Dara Massicot, Anthony Atler, John J. Drennan, Khrystyna Holynska, Katya Migacheva, Marek N. Posard, Yuliya Shokh

ResearchPublished Aug 15, 2023

During the initial post-Soviet years, the personnel system of the Russian Armed Forces experienced pervasive challenges because of budget limitations and domestic and international collapse of prestige. Challenges included undermanning and low readiness, poor training quality and lack of funds, lack of military prestige and popular support, hazing, draft evasion, health problems and personnel deferments, military disillusionment, wage issues, criminality and corruption, and desertion.

The authors of this report draw on Russian-language sources to examine trends in Russian military personnel policies and initiatives from the 1990s through December 2021, prior to Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian personnel policies from 1991 through 2021 sought to mitigate many of the existing problems with the Armed Forces during the implementation of Russia's military reform efforts, especially since 2009. While progress was made in many areas, key challenges remain.

Key Findings

  • Prior to 2022, Russia's defense leadership prioritized the professionalization of the Russian military through policy and budgetary initiatives as a counterpart to modernization investments in weapons and equipment.
  • The Russian military invested in tangible benefits associated with both conscription and contract service to enhance incentives for recruitment and retention. The policies yielded some improvements in both areas, although survey data suggest that some dissatisfaction persisted.
  • Other policy priorities focused on intangible factors, such as prestige and reduced stigma associated with military service. Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, these appeared to play a less significant role in recruitment and retention — particularly of contract personnel — than material factors.
  • Within the military's professional training and education systems, reforms aimed to enhance professional military proficiency to reflect new security and technological realities.
  • Recent initiatives increased the proportion of contract service members in Russia's military. These initiatives sought to address several of the perennial problems that had previously hampered the Russian military's effectiveness.
  • Russia might not fully trust its military personnel, even as more of them increasingly serve under contract. More-recent initiatives have sought to improve the loyalty of service members by promoting lessons of military history and patriotic values at all echelons.
  • Investments and initiatives between 2008 and 2022 sought to improve the base level of professionalism and readiness within Russia's armed forces. Although military leaders expressed satisfaction with performance during the Syria campaign, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine exposed persistent weaknesses within the system.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2023
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 210
  • Paperback Price: $49.95
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-1-9774-1136-5
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1233-6
  • Document Number: RR-A1233-6

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Binnendijk, Anika, Dara Massicot, Anthony Atler, John J. Drennan, Khrystyna Holynska, Katya Migacheva, Marek N. Posard, and Yuliya Shokh, Russian Military Personnel Policy and Proficiency: Reforms and Trends, 1991–2021, RAND Corporation, RR-A1233-6, 2023. As of October 26, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1233-6.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Binnendijk, Anika, Dara Massicot, Anthony Atler, John J. Drennan, Khrystyna Holynska, Katya Migacheva, Marek N. Posard, and Yuliya Shokh, Russian Military Personnel Policy and Proficiency: Reforms and Trends, 1991–2021. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1233-6.html. Also available in print form.
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This research was sponsored by U.S. European Command's Russia Strategic Initiative and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Program of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).

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