NATO Supreme Commander: Russian Army "Growing in Strength"
According to US General Christopher Cavoli, Moscow is producing weapons “in prodigious numbers.” NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, has expressed confidence that Russia will have little trouble achieving its goal...
TroibNews 
According to US General Christopher Cavoli, Moscow is producing weapons “in prodigious numbers.”
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, has expressed confidence that Russia will have little trouble achieving its goal of 1.5 million active military personnel, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, the four-star Army general assessed Russia's capacity to augment its military strength.
”I believe the personnel they’ll be able to build as quickly as they want to,” Cavoli noted, referring to the spring conscription campaign launched on Tuesday, which aims to recruit 160,000 individuals for military training. Unlike Kyiv, Moscow relies on volunteers instead of deploying conscripts to the front lines.
”With those numbers, they will be able to constitute the force size that they choose fairly quickly,” he stated. Cavoli estimated that Moscow might require “a couple of years” to meet the 1.5 million active personnel target.
The general also pointed out a significant increase in Russia’s military-industrial capacity amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
”They have expanded their capability to produce some things – artillery shells, cruise missiles – tremendously, and they are producing some things, such as one-way attack drones, in prodigious numbers that they weren't even producing at all before the war,” he cautioned.
Cavoli further noted that the fighting has considerably depleted Russia's stockpiles of heavy armored vehicles like tanks.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who requested the analysis, interpreted Cavoli’s comments as signifying that Russia represents a growing threat to both Ukraine and NATO nations in Europe.
“I would add to that, senator, that this is not just in the ground domain,” Cavoli added while highlighting Russian air patrols and the deployment of naval and road-mobile nuclear forces.
Moscow insists it harbors no aggressive intentions towards NATO and claims its military acts as a deterrent against perceived threats, including from the US-led coalition. The Pentagon regularly engages in maneuvers similar to those described by Cavoli.
Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed multiple increases in troop strength throughout the conflict in Ukraine. His directive from last September aims to raise the military personnel count to nearly 2.4 million, which includes 1.5 million active service members. The Kremlin has stated that “threats existing near our borders” prompted this decision.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, has expressed confidence that Russia will have little trouble achieving its goal of 1.5 million active military personnel, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, the four-star Army general assessed Russia's capacity to augment its military strength.
”I believe the personnel they’ll be able to build as quickly as they want to,” Cavoli noted, referring to the spring conscription campaign launched on Tuesday, which aims to recruit 160,000 individuals for military training. Unlike Kyiv, Moscow relies on volunteers instead of deploying conscripts to the front lines.
”With those numbers, they will be able to constitute the force size that they choose fairly quickly,” he stated. Cavoli estimated that Moscow might require “a couple of years” to meet the 1.5 million active personnel target.
The general also pointed out a significant increase in Russia’s military-industrial capacity amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
”They have expanded their capability to produce some things – artillery shells, cruise missiles – tremendously, and they are producing some things, such as one-way attack drones, in prodigious numbers that they weren't even producing at all before the war,” he cautioned.
Cavoli further noted that the fighting has considerably depleted Russia's stockpiles of heavy armored vehicles like tanks.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who requested the analysis, interpreted Cavoli’s comments as signifying that Russia represents a growing threat to both Ukraine and NATO nations in Europe.
“I would add to that, senator, that this is not just in the ground domain,” Cavoli added while highlighting Russian air patrols and the deployment of naval and road-mobile nuclear forces.
Moscow insists it harbors no aggressive intentions towards NATO and claims its military acts as a deterrent against perceived threats, including from the US-led coalition. The Pentagon regularly engages in maneuvers similar to those described by Cavoli.
Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed multiple increases in troop strength throughout the conflict in Ukraine. His directive from last September aims to raise the military personnel count to nearly 2.4 million, which includes 1.5 million active service members. The Kremlin has stated that “threats existing near our borders” prompted this decision.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
