Here are two huge problems that could sink the Russian military in a large-scale war

With a frozen frontline inside of Ukrainian territory, the successful annexation of Crimea, and an ongoing intervention in Syria, Russia's military prowess appears to be firmly established.

But despite the Kremlin's recent successes, the Russian military faces two deep structural problems that could prove disastrous if it ever faced off against another large conventional force.

According to Dave Majumdar of The National Interest, Russia's military is facing deep manpower and hardware shortfalls.

Conscription is a big part of Russia's military shortfall. A vast majority of military personnel, outside of the Strategic Missile Forces, airborne forces, and naval infantry, still rely on unmotivated conscripts that receive little training.

"Only about a quarter of Russian ground forces are fully staffed, well-trained professional troops," Majumdar notes. "Those professional soldiers - who are not quite trained to Western standards - are part of a corps of rapid reaction forces."

The remainder of Russian forces still rely on the draft to fill their ranks. That dependence, and the resulting lack of professionalism through much of the military, is readily apparent in the Kremlin's latest adventurism.

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