Ukraine ranked 20th in the Global Firepower Military Strength Ranking among 145 countries. Among European states, Ukraine placed sixth. The results remain unchanged compared to the previous year. The Russian army ranked second.
What the Military Strength Ranking Measures
Global Firepower is an analytical platform that annually assesses the defense capabilities of countries worldwide. The Global Firepower ranking of the strongest militaries is based on more than 60 indicators. In addition to the size of armed forces and the amount of military equipment, the ranking also considers a country’s economic and demographic potential, geographic position, and other factors.
Each country’s position is determined by its PowerIndex score. According to Global Firepower, the ideal score is 0.0000, though such a value is unattainable in real-world conditions. The lower the index, the stronger a country’s military capability.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Ukraine’s Armed Forces
According to the analysis, Ukraine’s key advantages lie in the size of its armed forces and their real combat experience. The ranking highlights the number of active personnel and reservists, available military equipment, and naval potential. The latter is likely linked to the use of unmanned maritime systems by Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
The assessment also takes into account Ukraine’s coal production, its well-developed railway network, and defense sector funding, all of which were noted as strengths.
One of the main weaknesses of Ukraine’s military is its underdeveloped navy. Ukraine does not possess large submarines or major surface combat vessels such as aircraft carriers, frigates, corvettes, or destroyers. The country also lacks its own tanker fleet. Among the drawbacks, analysts also pointed to high levels of energy consumption, including coal, oil, and gas.
Rankings of Other Countries
The world’s top three militaries are the United States (PowerIndex 0.0741), Russia (0.0791), and China (0.0919). Last year, the United States also ranked first, while Russia and China shared second place.
In 2026, the Global Firepower top ten strongest militaries are:
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United States
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Russian Federation
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People’s Republic of China
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India
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South Korea
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France
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Japan
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United Kingdom
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Turkey
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Italy
Ukraine ranks alongside Spain (18th), Egypt (19th), Poland (21st), and Taiwan (22nd). Among European countries, Ukraine holds sixth place. Higher positions were taken by France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Why Russia Ranked Second
According to Global Firepower, Russia’s overall military potential is second only to that of the United States. Russia demonstrates large numbers of personnel and military equipment, particularly armored vehicles, artillery, and missile systems. Analysts emphasized the strength of Russia’s ground forces and its defense-industrial complex, which supports weapons production and maintenance.
Russia also has a large pool of military personnel: out of a population of around 140 million, approximately 1.3 million serve in the armed forces.
The ranking notes that Russia has intensified its offensive operations in eastern Ukraine while disregarding US efforts to achieve a ceasefire. As a result, Russia’s advances in the war of aggression it launched against Ukraine contributed to its return to second place in the global military ranking.
