Country profile · Eastern Europe and North Asia
Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world by area. It has the most nuclear warheads of any country, with 5,420 in its total inventory in 2026. It has been at war with Ukraine since February 2022 and holds about 19% of Ukrainian territory. Asia took 78% of its goods exports in 2025.
Where Russia ranks
All rankings →Who runs Russia?
Vladimir Putin has led Russia since December 31, 1999. He was president from 2000 to 2008, prime minister from 2008 to 2012, and president again since 2012. Amendments approved in 2020 let him run once more, in 2030. He grew up in a communal apartment in Leningrad and served as a KGB officer in Dresden from 1985 to 1990. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison in February 2024. Five European governments later said he was poisoned with epibatidine, a frog toxin, which Russia denies. United Russia won a record 349 of 450 Duma seats in September 2026, after the Supreme Court struck the anti-war Yabloko party's list off the ballot.
- United Russia 349
- Communist Party 37
- Other parties and independents 64
Portrait (2024): Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0
Who are Russia's allies and rivals?
Russia's closest military partner is Belarus, where Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been stationed since 2023. North Korea signed a mutual defense treaty with Russia on June 19, 2024 and has sent an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops, who fought Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region. China declared a "no limits" partnership with Russia in February 2022 but the two have no defense treaty. Iran signed a 20-year treaty in January 2025 with no defense clause. Six of Russia's 14 land neighbors are now in NATO. Finland joined in 2023 and closed all border crossings. Japan disputes Russia's hold on the southern Kuril Islands.
Allies and partners
- Crimea and occupied Ukraine Crimea seized in 2014, four more regions claimed in 2022. Russia holds about 19% of Ukraine.
- Abkhazia and South Ossetia Part of Georgia, recognized by Russia since 2008
- Russia
- Partner
- Rival
Who does Russia trade with?
Russia exported $418.3 billion in goods in 2025 and imported $279.0 billion. Russia no longer publishes trade by partner country. Partner data show China bought 29.8% of exports and supplied 37.0% of imports. India bought 15.0%, mostly crude oil. Pipeline gas to the EU fell to 18 billion cubic meters in 2025. Gas to China reached a record 38 billion cubic meters. Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter, at 48.0 million tons in the 2025/26 season. Oil and gas made up about 23% of federal revenue in 2025, down from 30% in 2024.
TurkeyGoods trade, 2025. Russia no longer publishes trade by country, so each share is the partner's own customs figure divided by Russia's customs totals (Federal Customs Service). Belarus, a large partner, publishes no breakdown and is not shown.
How strong is Russia's military?
SIPRI estimates Russia spent $190.4 billion on its military in 2025, third in the world and 7.5% of GDP. The IISS counts 1,264,000 active troops. The 2026 budget set national defense spending at 12.93 trillion rubles, 29.3% of spending. Draft plans put 2027 defense spending at 17.1 trillion rubles. Russia has relied on contract recruitment with regional bonuses rather than a new mobilization since the one partial call-up in September 2022. Mediazona and BBC Russian had named 248,844 soldiers killed in Ukraine by September 10, 2026, a minimum count. Oryx counts 4,448 tanks lost. Estonia's intelligence service estimates about 7 million shells and rockets were produced in 2025.
Military spending, 2025
Full ranking →
United States$954bn
China est.$336bn- Russia est.$190bn
Germany$114bn
United Kingdom$89.0bn
Ukraine$84.1bn
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, 2026 edition
How many nuclear weapons does Russia have?
Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal. The Federation of American Scientists counts 5,420 warheads in 2026: a stockpile of 4,400 and about 1,020 retired. Of these, 1,796 strategic warheads are deployed. New START expired on February 5, 2026, with nothing to replace it. Russia says it keeps to the limits as long as the United States does. Tactical nuclear weapons are in Belarus, under Russian control. President Putin approved a revised nuclear doctrine on November 19, 2024. Russia de-ratified the test-ban treaty in 2023 but no Russian nuclear test has been reported. The Sarmat missile succeeded in a test on May 12, 2026.
Nuclear warheads, 2026
Full ranking →- Russia5,420
- United States5,042
- China620
France370- United Kingdom225
Federation of American Scientists, Status of World Nuclear Forces, 2026