Lance . Lance .

What Happens When an Army is Forced to Do More Than Fight? An Exploration of the Russian Armed Forces in 2023

This paper explores the relationship between corruption and politics in the Russian military and the bureaucratic systems that support it. The relationship will be examined by studying the practices of the Russian armed forces and the political structures that enable them, looking at both the microscopic and macroscopic levels. The cultural phenomena of "vranyo" will also be analyzed for its relationship to corruption and politics. This paper will show that the Russian military is failing in its current strategic goals due to issues rooted in corruption and politics and that the Russian armed forces are now also a tool for the political elite's individual gain. Furthermore, this paper will seek to expel the idea that Russia's army is failing purely due to military incompetence at the higher echelons and that the logic behind their actions is rooted in corruption and politics.

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