Italian General: Russian Army Stronger and Larger Than Ever Before

Italy should learn its lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and elaborate military capabilities for defense and deterrence, rather than for crisis response operations, Chief of the Italian Army General Staff Luciano Portolano said during a hearing before the Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.

“The speed at which events are developing” requires a dynamic analysis of the international situation, Portolano said, adding that there is a “profound shift in the international balance,” marked by a growing divide between democratic countries and those that support authoritarian styles of governance.

The "belt of instability" now stretches all the way to the Far East, in the region of the East and South China Seas, the Chief of the General Staff explained.

Russia Rebuilds Military Potential

According to Portolano, despite its losses, Russia is rebuilding its lost military potential, and its army is growing faster than expected.

“Today, the Russian army is larger than it was at the start of the war,” Portolano stated.

In the Middle East, the conflict continues to intensify, the Chief of the General Staff said, noting that Israel is currently engaged on six fronts:

• in Gaza against Hamas,
• in Lebanon against Hezbollah,
• in the West Bank,
• in Syria,
• against Iran,
• and in Yemen against the Houthis.

Portolano also emphasized that fields such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics are being integrated to enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces.

“While technological progress is changing the nature of conflicts, the human factor will always remain the ‘decisive’ element,” the Chief of the General Staff concluded.