| The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are the military services of Russia, established after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR under Russian Federation control. The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is the President of the Russian Federation. Although the Russian armed forces were formed in 1992, the Russian military dates its roots back to the times of the Kievan Rus'. The number of troops is permitted by decree of the President of Russia. On January 1, 2008, a quota of 2019629 units, including the military 1134800 units, was set. In 2010 the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated that the Russian armed forces numbered about 1027000 active troops and in the region of 20000000 reserves, (largely ex-conscripts) but a significant military reform is underway which will cut the number of active troops. According to SIPRI, Russia's annual defense spending stands at about $52.7 billion in FY2011 |
