Russia’s military vs Ukraine’s military in numbers

• Two hours ago, air raid sirens went off in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv indicating that the city is under attack.
• Russia has also warned other nations of consequences for interfering in this matter.
• United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to take back his troops.

The situation in Ukraine is quite tense after Russia’s “unprovoked” attack on the European Country. Less than an hour ago, air raid sirens went off in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv indicating that the city is under attack. These sirens were heard in multiple live television reports from Ukraine.

Russia had previously repeatedly rejected the United States’ allegations that it intends to invade Ukraine as "hysteria" and propaganda. Now, the country has also warned other nations of consequences for interfering in this matter. Ukraine was once a part of the Soviet Republic and has deep social as well as cultural ties with Russia. However, the tension between the two regions have been going on ever since Russia invaded the country in 2014 and seized big swathes of the east. The war in the east has reportedly claimed more than 14,000 lives.

Here is how Ukraine’s armed forces compare with Russia’s

	Russia	Ukraine
Military Expenditure (2020)	$61.7 Billion	$5.9 Billion
Troops	900,000	209,000
Tanks	2,840	858
Artillery	4,684	1,818
Total Aircraft	1,160	125
Frigates	15	1

Sources: International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also announced that Russia had carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure as well as the country’s border guards, and the explosions could be heard in many cities. He also noted that martial law has been declared across the country and that he has spoken to US President Joe Biden on the phone already.

Biden has issued a statement saying that the world will hold Russia accountable for the “unprovoked and unjustified” attack on Ukraine, while United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to take back his troops.

It is important to note that the Russian armed forces are the second strongest military power in the world. Russia has the world's largest tank fleet, the second largest aircraft fleet behind the US, and the third largest submarine fleet behind the US and China.

In order to prepare for the attack, Ukraine allowed its citizens to carry firearms from yesterday and stores have been selling a higher volume of guns than usual. According to a report by the Guardian, close to 400,000 Ukrainans have combat experience. Meanwhile, Ukraine has also urged its nearly 3 million citizens living in Russia to leave the country “immediately’ amidst rising tension.

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