Located on the western coast of

Military

Main article: Russian Armed Forces
Sukhoi Su-57, a fifth-generation fighter of the Russian Air Force^[296]
The Russian Armed Forces are divided into the Ground Forces, the Navy, and the Aerospace Forces—and there are also two independent arms of service: the Strategic Missile Troops and the Airborne Troops.^[10] As of 2021, the military have around a million active-duty personnel, which is the world's fifth-largest, and about 2–20 million reserve personnel.^[297][298] It is mandatory for all male citizens aged 18–27 to be drafted for a year of service in the Armed Forces.^[10]
Russia is among the five recognised nuclear-weapons states, with the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons; over half of the world's nuclear weapons are owned by Russia.^[299] Russia possesses the second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines,^[300] and is one of the only three countries operating strategic bombers.^[301] Russia maintains the world's third-highest military expenditure, spending $86.4 billion in 2022, corresponding to around 4.1% of its GDP.^[302] In 2021 it was the world's second-largest arms exporter, and had a large and entirely indigenous defence industry, producing most of its own military equipment.^[303]

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Russia
Following the R ussian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, anti-war protests broke out across Russia. The protests have been met with widespread repression, leading to about 15,000 people being arrested.^[304]
Violations of human rights in Russia have been increasingly criticised by leading democracy and human rights groups. In particular, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say that Russia is not democratic and allows few political rights and civil liberties to its citizens.^[305][306]
Since 2004, Freedom House has ranked Russia as "not free" in its Freedom in the World survey.^[307] Since 2011, the Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Russia as an "authoritarian regime" in its Democracy Index, ranking it 146th out of 167 countries in 2022.^[308] In regards to media freedom, Russia was ranked 155th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' Press Freedom Index for 2022.^[309] The Russian government has been widely criticised by political dissidents and human rights activists for unfair elections,^[310] crackdowns on opposition political parties and protests,^[311][312] persecution of non-governmental organisations and enforced suppression and killings of independent journalists,^{[313][314][315]} and censorship of mass media and internet.^[316]
Muslims, especially Salafis, have faced persecution in Russia.^[317][318] To quash the insurgency in the North Caucasus, Russian authorities have been accused of indiscriminate killings,^[319] arrests, forced disappearances, and torture of civilians.^[320][321] In Dagestan, some Salafis along with facing government harassment based on their appearance, have had their homes blown up in counterinsurgency operations.^[322][323] Chechens and Ingush in Russian prisons reportedly take more abuse than other ethnic groups.^[324] During the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has set up filtration camps where many Ukrainians are subjected to abuses and forcibly sent to Russia; the camps have been compared to those used in the Chechen Wars.^[325][326]
Russia has introduced several restrictions on LGBT rights, including a 2020 ban on same-sex marriage and the designation of LGBT+ organisations such as the Russian LGBT Network as "foreign agents".^[327][328]