The 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union saw a realignment of the relationship between Russia and the United States. The animosity of the Cold War gave way to a tenuous period of disarmament, cooperation, and transparency. However, security and social conflicts of interest from 1991 to 2019 widened the rift between Russia and the US and its allies, resulting in significant shifts in Russian security partnerships and policy. Russia's current military strategy represents a notable change from the nuclear weapons and conventional combined arms focus that typified the Cold War and consists of a general strategy of active defense, limited action, and an adaptation towards the development of military and nonmilitary forms and methods of operations and their employment. This monograph will focus on the Russian military strategy development from 1991 to 2019 through a review of the Russian understanding of war and military strategy from the Soviet period to the present and applying it to the Russian military campaigns in Ukraine and Syria. Additionally, the Russian understanding of war and military strategy provides some insights regarding the potential future direction of Russian military strategy development and implications for current and future US military policy and strategy.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)