Latvia’s defense ministry says Ukraine has significantly degraded the Russian army

• the Russian army has been so severely depleted as a result of the protracted conflict in Ukraine that a new offensive wouldn’t be possible for at least another two years.
• which cited Delfi, the assertion was made by Latvia’s Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks.
• The State Defense Service, which mandates military conscription, needs to be reformed, according to the minister.

The Russian army has been so severely depleted as a result of the protracted conflict in Ukraine that a new offensive wouldn’t be possible for at least another two years.

which cited Delfi, the assertion was made by Latvia’s Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks. The State Defense Service, which mandates military conscription, needs to be reformed, according to the minister.

Pabriks asserts that because Ukraine is effectively allowing Latvia time to get ready, Latvia must act right away to successfully fend off the invader. The politician thinks that any accusations that changing the State Defense Service would be premature given the impending elections are just a cheap justification and should not be criticised.

“Russia is not participating in the war. Latvia’s usual inability to act properly is dragging things out. As a result, we frequently waste time having drawn-out debates without being able to take action, according to the defence minister.

He also mentioned how, in the past, few people had entertained the possibility of a Russian invasion and a war on par with earlier ones. Now, Pabriks emphasised, Russia had demonstrated that “we must be prepared to protect our territory against a cruel opponent outnumbering us.”

Pabriks also stressed the necessity of bolstering NATO’s presence in Latvia, noting that a decision in favour of doing so was taken during the Madrid summit in June.

As previously mentioned, the Ministry has planned a change to Latvia’s State Defense Service. Over the course of the next five years, the new system will be implemented in phases. Citizens will be able to voluntarily apply for military duty starting in January 2023. In 2027, there may be mandatory military conscription for males between the ages of 18 and 27.

A new phase of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine—a full-scale invasion—began on February 24. Invaders have been bombing and shelling Ukraine’s tranquil cities and villages, killing residents. At the same time, numerous Russian military units have sustained significant losses.