On paper, Russian military modernisation should have produced a force that could overmatch the Ukrainian army. For more than a decade, funds for modernisation were allocated to State Defence Orders for everything from next generation aircraft and tanks, to new communications and battlefield control systems.
Russian R&D did its part (mostly), turning out systems that won attention and praise at trade shows, while commentators steadily built the Russian army up as an example of a dangerous foe that proved you could achieve more with less in the military procurement space.
Then they invaded Ukraine, and the image was shattered. I've previously explained this by looking at the Russian Defence budget and their priorities in the lead up to the invasion, but in doing that I refrained from focusing on one key issue.
Corruption in Russia is endemic, corruption in the Russian defence sector (like many around the world) is a catastrophe. From the highest levels of procurement fraud, down to the level of the enlisted personal hawking diesel, copper, and even explosives for petty cash, corruption has been a constant thorn in the side of all efforts to modernise the Russian army and mould it into an effective fighting force.
In this video, I try to take a somewhat light hearted look at how corruption in a military context can (and sometimes does) work, citing examples of actual cases and using hypotheticals to demonstrate the kinds of actions that can rot an institution from head to tail. For those of you in countries that face this problem, it should all seem a little familiar.
Examples are taken from the sources listed below and I make no independent representations on the veracity of any claims. I don't know exactly how much is stolen from the Russian defence budget, I doubt anyone does. But what I can do, is help us understand how a nation capable of producing some of the most advanced defence equipment in the world would be running out of fuel on day 3, and be rolling out museum piece tanks less than three months into a major conflict.
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Caveats and notes:
As always - note that this content is intended primarily for entertainment and should not be relied on as the basis for any commercial, financial or other decision or purpose.
Key sources:
Corruption in the Russian Defence Sector (Beliakova and Perlo-Freeman)
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Russian statements (albeit old) on defence budget theft
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Russian corruption ranking
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Patreon:
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 -- The military Russia wanted us to see
00:01:10 -- Meet Sergei
00:02:11 -- What Am I Covering
00:02:44 -- Sponsor Segment
00:04:11 -- Caveats
00:05:48 -- Corruption in the Russian military
00:07:31 -- What does corruption look like & understanding corruption
00:08:17 -- Corruption at Senior Political Leadership level
00:09:28 -- Corruption at Senior Political Leadership level – who you know
00:11:15 -- Corruption at Senior Military Leadership level
00:12:45 -- Corruption at Senior Military Leadership level – Story of Battlecruiser Pyotr Veliki (Peter the Great)
00:15:03 -- Corruption at lower commanders level
00:16:23 -- Corruption at supply officer level
00:17:57 -- Corruption at "Private Conscriptovic" level
00:18:53 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – a worked example
00:19:02 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – phase 0: R&D
00:20:20 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – Phase 1: Procurement
00:21:49 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – phase 2: production & ordering
00:23:17 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – phase 3: supply phase
00:24:24 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – phase 4: the unit level
00:26:19 -- How to corrupt an Army 101 – Phase 5: the front
00:27:50 -- Why is it so damaging
00:28:03 -- The economics of corruption
00:28:43 -- Not all corruption is "theft"
00:30:07 -- It can destroy research & industry
00:31:42 -- Cultural corrosion
00:33:10 -- Asymmetric cost/benefit
00:35:57 -- The Critical Gear
00:38:54 -- Why are militaries so vulnerable to corruption
00:39:06 -- Public attitude
00:39:53 -- Hierarchy
00:41:34 -- Secrecy
00:43:39 -- Invisibility
00:47:48 -- How to deal with corruption – mechanics and processes
00:50:23 -- Culture
00:52:36 -- Summary
00:54:32 -- Channel updates
