Nominal military spending has grown the most in China, says the recent Military Balance report. According to it, Russia has lost a significant amount of its combat armor in Ukraine.
The world’s total military spending has increased in recent years, but only nominally, according to the international strategic research institute IISS Military Balance 2023 (you switch to another service)in his report.
According to it, the growth measured in money has not meant real growth due to high inflation, but in reality, military spending was reduced in 2022 for the second year in a row.
According to the IISS, defense spending in Europe also increased in real terms for the eighth year in a row. However, last year’s growth was only less than one percent. According to IISS, the strong drop was due to inflation in Europe as well.
Nominally, China has increased its defense budget the most, last year by no less than seven percent, which is the country’s all-time record.
“Another bloody year of war expected”
of a senior researcher at IISS Ben Barry’s according to the war in Ukraine is currently in a stalemate. According to him, what can be expected is probably another bloody year of war as both sides try to take the initiative for themselves.
Even so far, both the Ukrainian and Russian forces have suffered significant manpower losses, which Russia has been able to make up for in part with the use of movement support.
– My understanding of the situation in Ukraine is that they still have a fairly significant number of adult men who have not yet been drafted, Barry said at the report’s launch event.
According to him, Ukraine would need 10 armored brigades to expel the Russians from the country.
Spring increases the pressure to attack
IISS that both sides of the war have prepared in Ukraine to defend against the expected attacks of the other side “in depth” with several defense lines. According to Barry, spring makes it easier to attack.
– The attacker first gains a political and military advantage, but at the same time exposes himself to counterattacks by the opponent’s artillery and armored forces, Barry stated.
IISS estimates in its report that Russia has already lost about half of its most modern T-72B3 and T-72B3M main battle tanks in the war, as well as many T-80 tanks. This has forced Russia to bring older equipment to the front.
IISS estimates that Russia has lost less than 10 percent of the Air Force’s fighters and other combat aircraft. Ukraine, on the other hand, must have lost up to half of its smaller number of combat aircraft from the beginning, IISS concludes.