The Rise and Fall of Russia's Military under Putin's Reign
Russian security expert Mark Galeotti claims that Putin spent 22 years rebuilding and reforming Russia's military, only to "shatter" it in Ukraine. When Putin came to power, the Russian military was in a catastrophic state, lacking resources and control. Putin, who had no meaningful military experience, believed that Russia needed a strong military to be a serious power. The underwhelming performance of the Russian military in the 2008 conflict with Georgia enabled Putin's defense minister to push through serious reforms.