How many soldiers does Russia have? Russian Armed Forces had 3.57 million troops as of 2024, with 37 percent of them, or 1.32 million, being active military personnel. Two million were reserve service members, and 250,000 were paramilitary forces. The number of people in the Russian military was increased twice after the invasion of Ukraine; the respective presidential decrees came into force in January and December 2023. Largest armies worldwide The Russian Army had the fourth-largest available active military manpower in 2024, having shared that rank with North Korea. The militaries of China, India, and the United States had more active soldiers. In terms of defense spending, Russia ranked third after the U.S. and China, as the expenditure was estimated at 109 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Military personnel of Ukraine and NATO Russia’s active troops outnumbered Ukraine’s by 420,000 as of 2024. Furthermore, reserve and paramilitary forces of Russia were higher. When comparing Russia’s active military personnel to that of the countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), it was roughly three times smaller. In total, NATO members were estimated to over 7.6 million troops, including active, reserve, and paramilitary units, as of 2024. The U.S., Turkey, and Poland have the largest armies in NATO.

Russia's military capabilities outnumbered those of Ukraine for most indicators as of 2025. For example, the number of aircraft at the disposal of the Russian Army was close to 4,300, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces possessed 324 aircraft. Russia's naval fleet was 4.7 times larger than Ukraine's. Moreover, Russia was one of the nine countries that possessed nuclear weapons. As of early 2024, Russia held the world's largest inventory of nuclear warheads. How many soldiers does Ukraine have? Ukraine's Army counted approximately 2.2 million military personnel as of 2025. Of them, 900,000 were active military staff. Furthermore, 1.2 million soldiers were part of the country's reserve forces. To compare, Russia had approximately 1.32 million active military personnel and two million of reserve military personnel. Russia's active soldier count was the fourth-largest worldwide, while Ukraine's ranked sixth. Ukraine's tank strength Ukraine's Armed Forces possessed over 1,100 tanks as of 2025, which was more than five times less than Russia's. To support Ukraine during the Russian invasion, several Western countries made commitments to deliver tanks to Ukraine, including Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams. Furthermore, Ukraine received other types of armored vehicles from Western countries, such as M133 armored personnel carriers from the United States and Mastiff (6x6) protected patrol vehicles from the United Kingdom.

Starting from December 1, 2024, the Russian Armed Forces would count nearly 2.4 million personnel. Of them, over 60 percent had to be on active duty. The size of the Russian Army was increased three times after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia is the main supplier of major arms to India, China, Algeria, and Kazakhstan. Notably, Russia accounted for 88 percent of the weapon imports of Kazakhstan’s between 2020 and 2024. Russia inherited its arms manufacturing sector from the Soviet Union, for which weapons were one of the major export categories. To which markets does Russia export weapons? Throughout 2023, India, China, and Belarus were the top recipients of major arms from Russia. India accounted for roughly one-third of Russia’s arms exports from 2019 to 2023. However, Russia’s export volumes to these and some other countries were lower than in the previous year. The decrease in supplies to India was facilitated by the country’s government’s initiatives to strengthen public defense manufacturing capabilities, which resulted in the recent years’ output growth. Russia's role in global arms exports Between 2020 and 2024, Russia's share in global arms exports stood at nearly eight percent. This represents a decline from the period between 2015 and 2019, when Russia accounted for over a fifth of weapon exports. The decrease accelerated during the Russia-Ukraine war that began in February 2022. Nevertheless, Russia ranked among the leading arms exporters worldwide, with its portion in weapon shipments worldwide only falling behind those of the United States and France.

As of 2025,the combined forces of NATO had approximately 3.44 million active military personnel, compared with 1.32 million active military personnel in the Russian military. The collective military capabilities of the 32 countries that make up NATO outnumber Russia in terms of aircraft, at 22,377 to 4,957, and in naval power, with 1,143 military ships, to 339. In terms of ground combat vehicles, NATO had an estimated 11,495 main battle tanks, to Russia's 5,750. The combined nuclear arsenal of the United States, United Kingdom, and France amounted to 5,559 nuclear warheads, compared with Russia's 5,580. NATO military spending In 2024, the combined military expenditure of NATO states amounted to approximately 1.47 trillion U.S. dollars, with the United States responsible for the majority of this spending, as the U.S. military budget amounted to 967.7 billion dollars that year. The current U.S. President, Donald Trump has frequently taken aim at other NATO allies for not spending as much on defense as America. NATO member states are expected to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense, although the U.S. has recently pushed for an even higher target. As of 2024, the U.S. spent around 3.38 percent of its GDP on defense, the third-highest in the alliance, with Estonia just ahead on 3.43 percent, and Poland spending the highest share at 4.12 percent. US aid to Ukraine The pause in aid to Ukraine from the United States at the start of March 2025 marks a significant policy change from Ukraine's most powerful ally. Throughout the War in Ukraine, military aid from America has been crucial to the Ukrainian cause. In Trump's first term in office, America sent a high number of anti-tank Javelins, with this aid scaling up to more advanced equipment after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The donation of around 40 HIMARs rocket-artillery system, for example, has proven to be one of Ukraine's most effective offensive weapons against Russia. Defensive systems such as advanced Patriot air defense units have also helped protect Ukraine from aerial assaults. Although European countries have also provided significant aid, it is unclear if they will be able to fill the hole left by America should the pause in aid goes on indefinitely.

As of January 2024, China had the largest armed forces in the world by active duty military personnel, with about 2 million active soldiers. India, the United States, North Korea, and Russia rounded out the top five largest armies. Difference between active and reserve personnel Active personnel, also known as active duty in the United States and active service in the United Kingdom, are those individuals whose full-time occupation is being part of a military force. Active duty is in contrast to a military’s reserve force, which are individuals who have both a military role and a civilian career. The number of active duty forces in the U.S. is much larger than its reserve membership. What is the strongest army? The strength of a country’s armed forces is not only determined by how many personnel they maintain, but also the number and quality of their military equipment. For example, looking only at personnel does not factor in the overwhelmingly higher number of nuclear warheads owned by Russia and the United States compared to other countries. One way to answer this question is to look at the total amount of money each country spends on their military, as spending includes both personnel and technology. In terms of countries with the highest military spending, the United States leads the world with an annual budget almost three times larger than second-placed China.

Among the respondents in Russia, the lowest level of public support toward the actions of Russian military forces in Ukraine was recorded among the population aged 18 to 24 years, at around 68 percent in February 2025. In the age group of 55 years and above, that share stood at 88 percent. Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Overall, eight out of ten Russians supported the military actions.

This dataset is about countries and is filtered where the country includes Russia, featuring 4 columns: continent, country, military expenditure, and region. The preview is ordered by population (descending).

This scatter chart displays suicide mortality rate (per 100,000 population) against armed forces personnel (people) and is filtered where the country is Russia. The data is about countries per year.

This dataset is about countries and is filtered where the country includes Russia. It has 5 columns: capital city, continent, country, currency, and military expenditure. The data is ordered by population (descending).

This dataset is about countries and is filtered where the country includes Russia, featuring 5 columns: armed forces personnel, capital city, continent, country, and currency. The preview is ordered by population (descending).

A total of 130 thousand new conscripts were ordered in Russia during the fall draft of 2023. Over the past decade, the highest annual conscription was recorded in 2014, at over 308 thousand. In September 2022, the Russian government announcement a military draft of reservists during the invasion of Ukraine. Military conscription in Russia There is a mandatory military service for men in Russia. Russian men aged 18 to 27 years are conscripted for one year of active military service, usually twice a year. The spring draft is from April 1 to July 15, and the fall draft is from October 1 to December 31 of each year. Conscription of university students can be postponed until they complete their studies. Furthermore, some people might not get conscripted due to health conditions. Russian conscripts also have an option to apply for alternative civilian service. Other countries that have military conscription include Brazil, Eritrea, South Korea, and Vietnam, among others. How big is the Russian Army? The Russian Army consists of around two million soldiers, of which more than one million are servicemen. In 2022, Russia had the fifth-largest number of active military personnel worldwide, which was measured at 850 thousand. Other staff included paramilitary and reserve military personnel. The number of active-duty military personnel, including paramilitary staff, significantly increased in 2015.

Since 1996, the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr (ZMSBw) has conducted a representative survey of the German population on defense and security policy issues on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Defense. In 2017, this study was continued. For this purpose, N = 2.508 persons were interviewed on various issues from May 31, 2017 to July 02, 2017. The present survey focused in particular on population’s threat perception and sense of security, personal attitudes toward the Federal Armed Forces, the perception of the Federal Armed Forces as an attractive employer, the population´s knowledge of the tasks of the Federal Armed Forces, their number of personnel, and awareness of the Federal Armed Forces´ missions abroad.
1. Security and threat perception: assessment of the current security situation worldwide and in the Federal Republic of Germany as well as personal sense of security (split); sense of threat from: Job loss or difficulty in finding a job, insufficient financial security in old age, worldwide climate change due to global warming, major natural disasters, war in Europe, terrorist attacks in Germany, worldwide spread of a dangerous disease or epidemic, xenophobia in Germany, religious fundamentalism in Germany, immigration to Germany, rising prices, crime in one´s personal environment, malfunction in a nuclear power plant, tensions between the West and Russia, conflict in Iraq and Syria, Internet attack on infrastructure in Germany, disintegration of the EU, spread of fake news).

1. Security policy attitudes: increase vs. decrease in Germany´s responsibility at the international level; preference for an active vs. passive German international policy; agreement with various instruments of German foreign and security policy (development aid, acceptance of refugees, diplomatic negotiations, economic sanctions, military cooperation, arms deliveries to friendly states, combat missions of the Federal Armed Forces, stabilization missions of the Federal Armed Forces, training missions of the Federal Armed Forces, police missions); agreement with various statements on foreign and security policy (war necessary under certain conditions, in international crises economic power is more important than military power, Germany should play a more active role in world politics, German interests are best safeguarded by not interfering in the affairs of other states, in an international crisis Germany and its allies should agree on a common stance, Germany should primarily take care of its own security, in foreign policy matters Germany should act in concert with the U.S., Germany should be more assertive in representing its interests to the U.S., the German government should be able to act alone in military matters without the involvement of the Bundestag, soldiers of the Federal Armed Forces should only be sent on missions with the approval of the Bundestag, Germany should engage in security and defense policy primarily together with the states of the EU, the EU should act as an independent defense and security policy actor, Germany should engage in NATO as a priority in terms of security and defense policy, Germany must continue to belong to NATO to ensure its security, EU should have a common security and defense policy/ a common European army, EU citizens should be allowed to serve as soldiers in the Federal Armed Forces in the same way as German citizens); attitudes toward NATO, alliance defense, and Russia (concerns about a new ´Cold War´ between Russia and the West, Germany should limit its economic relations with Russia, Germany should be more understanding of Russia´s position, Russia´s military action in Ukraine or in Syria threatens Germany´s security, NATO should increase its military presence in Eastern Europe, Germany should provide military support to the Baltic states); attitudes toward NATO, alliance defense, and the U.S. (U.S. a reliable partner for Germany, Germany should limit its economic relations with the U.S., Germany should have more understanding of the U.S. position, U.S. stands behind its commitments to other NATO countries, U.S. military action in Syria threatens Germany´s security, U.S. foreign and security policy threatens NATO cohesion, U.S. should remain involved in the defense of Europe).

2. Attitude toward the Federal Armed Forces: associations with the Federal Armed Forces (open); personal attitude toward the Federal Armed Forces; importance of the Federal Armed Forces for Germany; reputation of the Federal Armed Forces by the respondent; reputation of the Federal Armed Forces by most other people in Germany; degree of recognition by the respondent and in our country for the service of servicemen and women; evaluation of the Federal Armed Forces with regard to: Its performance at home and abroad, equipment and armament, integration of the Federal Armed Forces into society, public appearance, and the training of soldiers; institutional trust...

Perception of security and threats: personal feeling of security; personal significance of various aspects of security (e.g. job security, military security, social security, security of income, ecological security, etc.) Interest in politics in general, in foreign policy, in security and defence policy as well as interest in the Federal Armed Forces; security policy interest at the beginning of the 1980s; security policy strategy of ´deterrence´ as a guarantee for peace in Europe, necessary Realpolitik or a threat to humanity; advocacy or rejection of military force; change in personal attitude towards military force; Reasons for change of attitude; reasons for not changing attitudes; personal relationship to the peace movement in the early 1980s and today; opinion on pacifism; opinion on the extent of public debate on security policy issues and on the Federal Armed Forces; future development of the number of international conflicts after the end of the Cold War; likelihood of a military threat to Germany; feeling threatened by: environmental destruction, violence, hatred, crime, unemployment, world wars, right-wing extremism, financial problems, new technologies, diseases and population growth; threat to world peace from various countries and regions (Islamic states, Third World, Russia, Central/Eastern Europe, USA, Western Europe, Germany, Middle East, China); current that will prevail worldwide in the future (national or nationalist thinking vs. voluntary cooperation and interdependence); assessment of nationalist thinking; assessment of voluntary cooperation; suitability of various institutions and instruments to protect Germany against military risks (NATO membership, other/ new treaties with neighbouring countries, United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Federal Armed Forces, European Army, general disarmament, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)). 2. Security policy attitudes, foreign missions of the Federal Armed Forces: Germany´s role in the world: preference for a rather active vs. rather passive international policy of Germany; approved or rejected measures for Germany´s international action (e.g. aid with food and medicine, aid of a financial and economic nature, technical aid by civil organisations, peacekeeping mission of the Federal Armed Forces within the framework of a UN mission, etc.); opinion on the peace-keeping mission of the Federal Armed Forces in various countries and regions (Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, South-East Asia, Africa, NATO states, Western Europe; opinion on the future role of a state´s military power; opinion on the future staffing level of the Federal Armed Forces; assessment of Germany´s defence expenditure; general attitude towards the Federal Armed Forces. 3. Evaluation of public institutions: Institutional trust (Federal Constitutional Court, other courts, police, Bundesrat, state government, Federal Armed Forces, Bundestag, television, press, churches, trade unions, federal government, education, political parties); reliance on the Federal Armed Forces. 4. Attitude towards compulsory military service: Military service or alternative civilian service more important for society; decision for or against various community services (care of the sick, care of the elderly, military service/defence, care of the disabled, environmental protection/remedy of environmental damage, care of children in need of help, service with the police, border guards or fire brigade); community service which the interviewee would be most likely to opt for social service most likely to be refused; general attitude towards military service; opinion on the right to conscientious objection; frequency of different reasons for conscientious objection (religious reasons, military service as time lost, political reasons, military service not compatible with conscience, civilian service as a more convenient way, economic reasons, civilian service with greater benefit to society); general compulsory military service retained vs. conversion into a voluntary army; future of the Federal Armed Forces (Federal Armed Forces should be abolished, citizen´s army based on the Swiss model, purely voluntary army, current mix of conscripts, professional and temporary soldiers should be retained, fewer professional and temporary soldiers more military exercises for former soldiers); preference for the future of the Federal Armed Forces. 5. Tasks of the Federal Armed Forces: Preferences with regard to the tasks of the Federal Armed Forces (tasks of international arms control, fight against international terrorism, fight against international drug trafficking, border security against illegal immigrants, tasks in the field of environmental protection, international disaster relief, humanitarian aid and rescue services, reconstruction and development aid, international military advice, Combat operations on behalf of and under the control of the UN or other international organisations, peacekeeping operations on behalf of and under the control of the UN or international organisations, protection of the constitutional order in Germany, participation in celebrations and ceremonies, education and character building, defence of Germany, defence of allies, aid for threatened friendly nations); evaluation of the deployment of German soldiers in various UN missions with regard to: care of the suffering population, promotion of the international community, integration of Germany, strengthening of German national interests, stabilisation of world peace, strengthening of the reputation of the Federal Armed Forces, enforcement of human rights, establishment of democracy in the country of deployment, protection of the population in the country of deployment; assessment of the armament and equipment of the Federal Armed Forces; assessment of leadership training in the Federal Armed Forces; assessment of ´soldiering´ as a profession; personal acquaintance with a Federal Armed Forces soldier; personal advice to a relative or friend when considering volunteering for the Federal Armed Forces; importance of co-determination in civilian enterprises; importance of co-determination for soldiers in peacetime; preferences for voluntary service by women in the Federal Armed Forces (women do not belong in the Federal Armed Forces, only in unarmed service, all uses should be open to women); opinion on the complete withdrawal of US troops from Germany; opinion on the complete withdrawal of the Federal Armed Forces from the region; agreement on various possibilities for a new German security policy (extension of NATO security guarantees to Eastern Europe, common European foreign and security policy, restructuring of the military, return to national German interests, strengthening of political cooperation); the importance for Germany of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council; attitudes towards citizens of various neighbouring countries (Belgians, Danes, French, Dutch, Austrians, Poles, Swiss, Czechs and Luxemburgers); the most positive attitudes and the most negative attitudes towards neighbours; a feeling of belonging as West Germans, East Germans, Germans, Europeans or world citizens. 6. Military cooperation in Europe: familiarity of various associations with soldiers from different nations (e.g. German-French Brigade, Eurocorps, German-American Corps, German-Dutch Corps); opinion on military cooperation with various countries (USA, France, Netherlands, England, Belgium, Denmark, Italy); opinion on the creation of a European army; opinion on the political unification of Europe; opinion on the introduction of a common European currency, the Euro; evaluation of the performance of the Federal Armed Forces with regard to reunification in comparison to other institutions (trade unions, churches, political parties, employers´ associations, sports associations and media); opinion on the future NATO deployment of Federal Armed Forces combat troops. Demography: Sex; age (year of birth); education; additional vocational training; occupation; occupational group; net household income; marital status; denomination; residential environment (degree of urbanisation); city size; federal state; household size; number of persons in household aged 16 and over; Left-Right Self-Placement. Additionally coded: Respondent ID; age (categorised); West/East; weight.

Since 1996, the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr (ZMSBw) has conducted a representative survey of the German population on defense and security policy issues on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Defense. In 2015, this study was continued. For this purpose, N = 2653 persons were interviewed on various issues from September 08, 2015, until October 30, 2015. The present survey focused in particular on security and threat perception, security policy attitudes, perception of the Federal Armed Forces, attitudes toward the Federal Armed Forces, Day of the Federal Armed Forces, relationship between the Federal Armed Forces and society. Perceived attractiveness of the Federal Armed Forces as an employer, tasks of the Federal Armed Forces, level of defense expenditures and number of personnel, foreign deployments of the Federal Armed Forces, awareness and evaluation of the slogan ´Wir.Dienen.Deutschland.´ (´We.Serve.Germany.´) Political interest, media use, and political participation and preferences.
1. Security and threat perception: most important political issues in Germany (open); assessment of the security situation worldwide and in the Federal Republic of Germany; personal sense of security; sense of threat from: Job loss or difficulty in finding a job, insufficient financial security in old age, worldwide climate change due to global warming, major natural disasters, war in Europe, terrorist attacks in Germany, worldwide spread of a dangerous disease or epidemic, xenophobia in Germany, religious fundamentalism in Germany, immigration to Germany, rising prices, crime in personal environment, malfunction in a nuclear power plant, tensions between the West and Russia.

1. Security policy attitudes: increase vs. decrease in Germany´s responsibility at the international level; preference for an active vs. Germany´s passive international policy (split); reasons for Germany´s active role in addressing problems in other countries and regions; reasons why Germany should keep out of it if possible; approval of various instruments of German foreign and security policy (development aid, taking in refugees, diplomatic negotiations, economic sanctions, military cooperation, arms deliveries befriended states, Federal Armed Forces missions, police missions); Importance of various cooperations for German foreign and security policy (Germany´s membership in NATO, the United Nations (UN, UNO), the European Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), cooperation with the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, and Poland).

2. Perception of the Federal Armed Forces: associations with the Federal Armed Forces (open); perception of media coverage of the Federal Armed Forces in general; agreement on the strong influence of media coverage on the image of the Federal Armed Forces among the respondent himself, among people in his circle of friends and family, and among the general population (split).

3. Attitudes toward the Federal Armed Forces: personal attitudes toward the Federal Armed Forces; importance of the Federal Armed Forces to Germany; prestige of the Federal Armed Forces among the respondent; prestige of the Federal Armed Forces among most people in Germany; degree of appreciation by the respondent and in Germany in general for the service of the soldiers; evaluation of the Federal Armed Forces in terms of: Their performance at home and abroad, equipment and armament, integration of the Federal Armed Forces into society, public appearance, and the training of soldiers; institutional trust (public schools, the German Parliament (Bundestag), public pension insurance, political parties, the Federal Employment Agency, trade unions, the Federal Constitutional Court, public health insurance, the Federal Armed Forces, the police, the Protestant Church, the Catholic Church, the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Federal Intelligence Service, the German government, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution); reasons for trust or for lack of trust in the Federal Armed Forces (open); perception of the Federal Armed Forces in the past 12 months on the following occasions: in everyday life, at public events, conversations with friends, relatives or colleagues, on TV or radio broadcasts, articles on the Internet and reports in newspapers and magazines; personal impression of the Federal Armed Forces on the respective occasions.

4. Federal Armed Forces Day: relationship between the Federal Armed Forces and society: Perception of Federal Armed Forces Day; participation in Federal Armed Forces Day this year; enjoyment of the event; advocacy of Federal Armed Forces Day; sufficient efforts by the Federal Armed Forces to stay in touch with society; events that should be held more frequently in public (public pledge, reception of soldiers returning from a foreign deployment, public promotions of soldiers, taps); Participation in these events as visitors;...

Within a decade, starting from 2011 Russia is planning to spend roughly one and a half federal budget (22,000 billion roubles) on modernization of the country's military-industrial complex and a full-scale rearmament of the Armed Forces. The investments are supposed to improve both Russia's military capabilities, and Russia's economic performance. The main aim of the project was to investigate the potential effects on the overall Russian economy of the large defence outlays – in particular the ongoing rearmament program. The main finding was that while those who have rejected almost any positive effects on the overall economy of the high defence spending have been too dismissive, there is little to suggest that the defence industry will become a locomotive for the economy in the ways suggested by Russian officials. Data on the Russian population attitudes towards defense spending were collected, in addition to data on the Russian defense industry's production capacity and export of military equipment.

For further information about "Russias Defence Industry - An Engine for Economic Growth? 2017", please contact the principal investigator.

The Second World War had a profound impact on gender ratios within the Soviet Union's population, and its effect on different age groups varied greatly. The Soviet population structure had already been shaped heavily by the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the famines of the early 1920s and early 1930s. The impact of these events on mortality and fertility meant that, in 1941, the generations whose births corresponded with these events had a lower population than would be expected on a typical population model. For example, in 1941, those aged between 5 and 9 had a significantly lower population than those aged 10 to 14, due to the effects of the Soviet famine of 1932-1933. Additionally, women outnumbered men in all age groups except the very youngest, due to the disproportionate effect of conflict and infant mortality on male populations. Impact of WWII In order to observe the impact of the war, one must compare populations of specific age groups in 1941 with the following age group in 1946. For men of "fighting age" in 1941, i.e. those aged between 15 and 44, these populations experience the most substantial decrease over the course of the war. For example, there are 5.6 million men aged 15-19 in 1941, but just 3.5 million aged 20-24 in 1946, giving a decrease of 38 percent. This decrease of almost forty percent can be observed until the 45-49 group, where the difference is 25 percent. Additionally, women aged between 15 and 34 saw a disproportionate decrease in their populations over this period, as many enlisted in the army and took an active part in the conflict, most notably as medics, snipers, and pilots.

The war's impact on fertility and child mortality meant that, in 1946, the total population under four years old was less than half its size in 1941. Generally, variations between age groups then fluctuated in line with pre-war patterns, however the overall ratio of women to men increased further after the war. For all age groups over 20 years, the number of men decreased between these years, whereas all women's age groups over 30 years saw an increase; this meant that, despite the war, women over 30 had a higher life expectancy in 1946.

Russia had the most powerful military in Europe according to its PowerIndex score, which compares the strength and capability of different countries. According to this ranking, the UK had the second strongest military in Europe, followed by Türkiye, and then Italy.

Over the course of the Second World War, approximately 44.5 percent of the Soviet population and 8.7 of Soviet territory was occupied by the Axis forces at some point. Despite being allied in the war's early stages, with both countries invading Poland in 1939 via the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Germany would launch Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR, in 1941, which would become the largest military invasion in history. Movement of the Eastern Front The surprise invasion began on June 22, and Axis forces caught the Soviets off-guard, quickly pushing their way eastward along a frontline that stretched from the Baltic to Black seas. The length of the front-line allowed Axis forces to execute pincer movements around cities and strongholds, which cut off large numbers of Soviet soldiers from their supply lines, as well as preventing reinforcements; in this process millions of Soviet troops were taken as prisoner. Within three weeks, the Germans had taken much of present-day Poland, Belarus, and the Baltic states, before taking Moldova and Ukraine in September, and pushing into western Russia between September and December. The front lines had reached the outskirts of Moscow by November, before exhaustion and cold weather helped Soviet forces hold the line and stall the German offensive. The Red Army was then able to regroup and turning the Germans' own tactics against them, using two-pronged attacks to encircle large numbers of troops, although harsh weather made this stage of the conflict much slower.

The lines remained fairly static until mid-1942, when the Germans focused their offensive on the south, concentrating on the Caucasian oil fields and the Volga River. By November 1942, Axis forces had pushed into these regions, establishing what would ultimately be the largest amount of occupied Soviet territory during the war. Once again, winter halted the Axis advance, and allowed the Red Army to regroup. Learning from the previous year, the Axis command strengthened their forces near Moscow in anticipation of the Soviet counter-offensive, but were caught off-guard by a second counter-offensive in the south, most famously at Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad would come to epitomize the extreme loss, destruction, and brutality of war on the eastern front, with conflict continuing in the city months after the rest of the Axis forces had been pushed west. As 1943 progressed, the Red Army gained momentum by targeting inferiorly-trained and equipped non-German regiments. The spring then became something of a balancing act for the Axis powers, as the Soviets consistently attacked weak points, and German regiments were transferred to reinforce these areas. In the summer of 1943, the front line was static once more, however the momentum was with the Soviets, who were able to capitalize on victories such as Kursk and gradually force the Axis powers back. By 1944, the Red Army had re-captured much of Ukraine, and had re-taken the south by the summer. When the Western Allies arrived in France in June, the Soviets were already pushing through Ukraine and Belarus, towards Berlin. In August 1944, the last Axis forces were pushed out of Soviet territory, and Soviet forces continued their push towards the German capital, which fell in May 1945. Soviet death toll In addition to the near-five million Soviet troops who died during Operation Barbarossa, millions of civilians died through starvation, areal bombardment, forced labor, and systematic murder campaigns. Due to the nature and severity of Soviet losses, total figures are difficult to estimate; totals of 15-20 million civilians and 7-9 million military deaths are most common. Further estimates suggest that the disruption to fertility, in addition to the high death toll, meant that the USSR's population in 1946 was 40 million lower than it would have been had there been no war.

Over the course of the Second World War approximately 127.2 million people were mobilized. The world's population in 1940 was roughly 2.3 billion, meaning that between five and six percent of the world was drafted into the military in some capacity. Approximately one in every 25 people mobilized were women, who generally served in an administrative or medical role, although hundreds of thousands of women did see active combat. Largest armies In absolute numbers, the Soviet Union mobilized the largest number of people at just under 34.5 million, and this included roughly 35 percent of the USSR's male population. By the war's end, more Soviets were mobilized than all European Axis powers combined. However, in relative terms, it was Germany who mobilized the largest share of its male population, with approximately 42 percent of men serving. The USSR was forced to find a balance between reinforcing its frontlines and maintaining agricultural and military production to supply its army (in addition to those in annexed territory after 1941), whereas a large share of soldiers taken from the German workforce were replaced by workers drafted or forcibly taken from other countries (including concentration camp prisoners and PoWs). Studying the figures The figures given in these statistics are a very simplified and rounded overview - in reality, there were many nuances in the number of people who were effectively mobilized for each country, their roles, and their status as auxiliary, collaborative, or resistance forces. The British Empire is the only power where distinctions are made between the metropole and its colonies or territories, whereas breakdowns of those who fought in other parts of Asia or Africa remains unclear. Additionally, when comparing this data with total fatalities, it is important to account for the civilian death toll, i.e. those who were not mobilized.