Russia’s underwhelming performance in Ukraine has shocked global military analysts, who had expected the Russian forces to take the country within the first 72 hours.

But as reports emerge that Russia’s troops are beginning to withdraw from the country’s north, experts are examining the corruption within Russia’s military.

For a nation that prides itself on excessive yearly military parades…

Russia’s lacklustre performance in Ukraine has surprised European leaders and the Pentagon.

Russia’s attack in the opening days of Putin’s war in Ukraine was unexpectedly — underwhelming.

History of corruption

While many have celebrated Ukraine’s willingness to push back – other’s are looking deeper into a tangled web of Russia’s military might.

Could corruption have led to a catastrophic combination of incorrect assessments and poor performance on the ground?

The corruption in defence procurement has undermined logistics for the Russian soldiers on the ground.

Poor logistics impacts troop momentum but also importantly, morale.

Most companies responsible for providing food to the Russian military are connected to Yevgeny Prig-ozhin — the patron of PMC Wagner – the mercenary organisation.

PMC Wagner has also been accused of meddling in the US election.

Prig-ozhin’s companies have been accused of gaming the state’s bidding system for defence orders.

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Raking in profits worth hundreds of millions of dollars, at the cost of Russian soldiers.

The quality of food and housing for Russia’s military is reportedly worse than its prisons.

For a country so rich on oil and gas, Russia’s advancement in Ukraine has been set back by a lack of fuel for troop carriers and tanks.

Fuel is often called Russia’s second currency, and military fuel contracts have been ripe for embezzlement.

Many technological innovations celebrated in military parades have never materialised in combat – due to embezzlement and fraud.

Intense speculation

The level of corruption within Russia’s industrial military complex has been the subject of intense speculation.

After all, how do you account for the fact that top officials in the Russian Defence Ministry own property that significantly outmatches their income.

It’s a world away from the Russian troops, fighting, and dying on Putin’s battlefield.