Russian army now bigger than two years ago, but worse in terms of quality – NATO's Military Committee Chief

Russia's ground forces are now larger than they were at the time of beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but their quality has declined since then.

"The quality of those forces has gone down," Bauer said, pointing to the state of equipment and level of training of Russian soldiers.

"At the moment, the Russians are not the same threat as in February 2022, so we have a bit of time to prepare ourselves," Admiral Rob Bauer, Chief of the NATO Military Committee, said, as quoted by Reuters.

He added that this means increasing investment in the defence industry.

He also urged businesses to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly to be less vulnerable to blackmail from countries such as Russia and China.

"If we can make sure that all crucial services and goods can be delivered no matter what, then that is a key part of our deterrence," Bauer said.

It is worth noting that General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, believes that regardless of how the war in Ukraine ends, the Russian army will be stronger than it is now. "The Russian armed forces are learning, they are improving, they are applying the experience gained at war," Cavoli said.

He called on NATO to quickly prepare for this threat, because Russia will be an enemy with serious military potential and "clear intentions".

Bruno Kahl, Head of Germany's Foreign Intelligence Service, believes that Russia will be capable of attacking NATO territory within the next six years.