Russians have no doubts about the military capacity of Russia. The armed forces are perceived as a prestigious social institution providing opportunities for self-realization.

MOSCOW, July 2, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of the survey describing how Russians assess the military strength of the Russian army and its role in the modern Russian society.

The military capability of the Russian armed forces is highly assessed by Russians. An overwhelming majority of respondents (86%) are confident that the army can protect the population against any military threat.  They are opposed by only 10% of Russians (since 2013 this share has decreased 2.5-fold, from 25%).

Russians have positive emotions about the armed forces of Russia. Over a year, the share of those who respect the Russian army has considerably increased (from 34% to 40%), as well as the share of those who is proud of them (from 27% to 39%). As the positive assessments grow, the number of respondents who express hopes for the army is increasing (from 38% to 20%). Negative perceptions are rarely expressed: 7% – disappointment, 4% - distrust, 2% - skepsis, 2% - condemnation.

Today the military service is attractive more than ever. The Index* has reached 25 points which is a historical maximum. The number of those who want their relatives (son, brother, husband) to serve in the army has increased to 59%. Simultaneously, the share of respondents who oppose this idea has decreased to 34%.

Army is perceived as an institution with opportunities and an effective means of social mobility. Fifty-one percent of Russians agree with the idea that the army gives opportunities for self-realization; they are mainly men (62%) and people aged over 60 (65%) rather than women (56%) and 18-24-year-olds (47%). On the contrary, 15% believe that the military service hampers realization of the life plans. One-fifth of respondents (20%) do not think that the impact of the army on the life of young people is substantial.

Most of Russians regard army as an institution of protection against external threat. Every third (34%) believes that the army does not have any impact on any sphere of social life. Every fifth (20%) also considers that the key role of the army is to protect against external threats, shaping at the same time the social life of the country. Eighteen percent of Russians emphasize an essential role of the army; 19% think that the army is the key institution in the country.

*Army Attractiveness Index reflects the attitudes of Russians towards the military service. The index is based on the question “Would you like your son/brother/husband or a close relative to serve in the army?". The index is calculated as a difference of positive and negative assessments. The Index can vary between -100 and 100. The higher the value of Index is, the better Russians perceive the service in the army.

The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted June 13-14, 2015; 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 settlements in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.

The results of the survey were presented by the Chairman of VCIOM`s Board of Directors Konstantin Abramov at the round table “Army and Society” (June 19^th, 2015) in the framework of the International Military-Technical Forum “ARMY-2015”.

 ‘Until 2012 the question was as follows: “Today more than one million one hundred thousand people serve in the Russian army. In your opinion, does Russia need such a big army?”

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!