Russia’s bases abroad. A shadow of the former power of the USSR [MAP] (defence24.com)

• Soviet legacy transitioned to regional containment.
• Focus on post-Soviet and Middle Eastern strategic hubs.
• Infrastructure as a tool for NATO-perimeter challenges.

"Russian military infrastructure outside its borders serves as a functional legacy of Soviet-era power projection. Since the collapse of the USSR, the network has transitioned from global reach to a focus on regional containment and influence. Current installations are predominantly located within the post-Soviet space, with key exceptions in the Middle East. These bases act as anchors for maintaining security architectures, controlling critical logistics, and challenging NATO's perimeter. The report evaluates how these static assets are being repurposed for contemporary hybrid threats and regional power enforcement, highlighting the disconnect between the desire for great-power status and the logistical reality of maintaining such dispersed assets."