Tensions between Russia and America are at their worst since the end of the Cold War. Although all-out conflict is still extremely unlikely, there is a chance a miscalculation on either side could lead to war. But what would a full-scale war between Russia and America look like? Is there ever a chance we could see Russia try and invade the US and do they have the military capabilities to do so?
Russia could not invade the United States. The size of the American armed forces, the distance between Russia and America and the enormous size of the United States makes an invasion by Russia essentially impossible. A Russian attempt to invade America is also extremely unlikely.
So, now we’ve had an overview, let’s look into the details of how a Russian invasion of the US could happen, and what it might look like if it did…
Why Would Russia Invade America?
An Russian invasion of the US is basically impossible. Firstly, for Russia to try and invade the United States there would need to an full-scale war between the two countries. This war would need to so large that Russia felt it strategically necessary to invade America.
A war of the size needed for Russia to try and invade America basically isn’t going to happen. However, the future is never certain. So, although it’s extremely unlikely, let’s look at the scenarios that could lead to a Russian invasion of the US. The main reasons include:
- Russia invades NATO
- America’s attacks a CSTO nation
- Russia attempts to annex US territory
Now, let’s go into a bit of detail…
Russia Invades NATO
The first reason why Russia might try and invade the US is if a full-scale war broke out because a NATO member was attacked. NATO’s article 5 means that all members must come to the assistance of one. If Russia launched an attack on a NATO member then full-scale war between the alliance and Russia could occur. If Russia got the upper hand in this conflict, then it could try and invade the US.
America Attacks a CSTO Nation
A second reason why Russia might invade the US is essentially the same scenario the other way around – the US or a Western country attacks Russia or a member of the CSTO.
The CSTO – the Collective Security Treaty Organization, is essentially the Russian equivalent of NATO. It is made up of Russia, Belarus and former Soviet states in Central Asia. If for any reason a member of the CSTO was attacked, a full-scale could break-out. Again, if this escalated to an almost unimaginable scale, then it is possible that Russia tries to invade the US.
Russia Attempts to Annex US Territory
The final, albeit extremely unlikely scenario, that could see Russia invade America would be Russia attempted to seize part of the US.
Rather than an all-out invasion, this scenario could see Russia try to re-take Alaska, or seize islands in the Pacific that could be strategically vital. Any attempt by Russia to seize American territories would also almost certainly lead to a full-scale war.
Is Russia’s Military Stronger Than America’s?
So, we’ve gone over the possible, but extremely unlikely, scenarios that could lead to a Russian attempt to invade the US. Now, let’s look at whether Russia actually has the military capabilities to conquer the United States?
Russia does not have the military strength to invade America. The Russian armed forces lack the aircraft and ships needed to launch an invasion of the mainland US. Russia also does not have enough troops to fully defeat the American army that would be needed before an invasion could take place.
… but that’s just an overview, there are several reasons why Russia could not invade America. Let’s take a look.
In order for Russia to invade America, it would need to defeat a large portion of the American armed forces. No invasion of the US could be launched without almost the total destruction of the US military. Russia’s army is not strong enough to defeat the US.
| Country | Number of Active-Duty Soldiers | Number of Reservists | Number of Main Battle Tanks | Number of Combat Aircraft | Number of Warships |
| United States | 1,388,100 | 844,050 | 6,209 | 2,628 | 490 |
| Russia | 1,855,810 | 2,687,530 | 7,711 | 2,554 | 244 |
All data from Wikipedia
As we can see, Russia’s military has around half a million more active troops than America. They also have over one thousand more front-line tanks and almost an equal number of combat aircraft.
However. the Russian navy is significantly smaller than that of the US. This would make a Russian invasion of America impossible. There is no way Russia could knock out the US Navy, and without doing so, could never launch an invasion of the United States.
The Russian military does not have the equipment or technology needed to launch an invasion of the US. They simply don’t have the number of ships, troop carriers, logistics equipment and specialist weapons that would be needed to try and conquer America.
Even a Russian attempt to invade the US through Alaska is beyond the capabilities of Russian military.
A major barrier to a Russian invasion of America is the sheer distance between the two.
To Russia’s west, there is thousands of miles of landmass across Europe, and then thousands of miles more across the North Atlantic.
To Russia East, although the distance between Russia and Alaska may be short – remember there are thousands of miles of wilderness in Eastern Russia… and in Alaska! These vast distances, combined with mountain ranges, freezing temperatures and lack of almost any roads or infrastructure, makes attacking the US through Alaska almost impossible.
Another factor that highlights how Russia does not have the capacity to invade America is that it simply couldn’t afford to. A full-scale invasion would cost hundreds of millions, likely billions or even trillions of dollars. Russia simply doesn’t have the financial resources to support a military undertaking on a scale large enough to invade the United States.
What Would Happen If Russia Tried to Conquer America?
We’ve looked at whether Russia would ever see an invasion of America as being in its strategic interest, we’ve also looked at what could make Russia launch an invasion of America and if it had the capabilities to do it. Now, let’s look at what might happen if Russia actually did try to conquer America.
A Russian invasion of the US would involve enormous loss of life. There would be significant military and civilian casualties, as well as widespread destruction. It is likely nuclear weapons would be used by both sides, further increasing the death toll.
As we’ve said, a Russian attempt to invade the US would only come as part of a wider conflict between the two countries. Even if a major war did break-out, it is almost impossible for Russia to invade America.
However, if they did, it would see huge scale fighting between American and Russian troops – on the land, at sea and in the air. There would be loss of life on a scale not seen since the Second World War, and that’s even if nuclear weapons were not involved.
Russia would need to mobilize its entire armed forces if it were to launch an invasion of the US. This would mean pulling soldiers and equipment away from other strategic locations, possibly leaving these vulnerable to attack by opportunist’s states looking to take advantage of the security void. The Russian Air Force and Navy would have to completely commit to supporting a ground invasion of the mainland United States.
Any war between the US and Russia that is large enough to see Russia attempt an invasion of America would likely involve the allies of both countries.
America and Russia both have a network of formal and more tacit alliances. These countries would likely come to their aid. This would mean Russia would need to defeat almost every country in Europe before it could launch an invasion of America.
Even if Russia invaded America from the East – through Alaska, the number of troops needed would mean they would have to defeat America’s European allies or else risk leaving their western flank vulnerable.
Essentially, a Russian ground invasion of the US would create untold death and destruction. Nuclear weapons would likely be used and likely millions would die – on both sides. Thankfully, it’s an event almost impossible to happen.