Russia Has Over 600 More Naval Ships Than Any Rival

Some Eastern European countries like Lithuania and Estonia spend just 3% GDP on defense (though this exceeds the 2% GDP goal from NATO). However, considering the rapidly emerging geopolitical tensions on a global scale, an increase in spending might be necessary to ensure protection. Countries are beginning to assess where their military capabilities currently stand.

24/7 Wall St. decided to take a closer look at the military powers in Eastern Europe. To determine the countries with the strongest military might in Eastern Europe, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. GFP ranked 145 countries based on their PowerIndex, a composite of over 60 measures in categories such as military might, financials, logistical capability, and geography. The smaller the PowerIndex value the more powerful a nation's theoretical conventional fighting capability is. We included supplemental information regarding active military personnel, military aircraft, vehicles, and naval power as well.

It should be noted that Global Firepower includes all reserves and paramilitaries, meaning active personnel numbers are much lower than estimated by GFP. Additionally, Slovakia, Hungary, and Moldova are landlocked, yet GFP sometimes lists “naval” units if they have river patrol craft.

This post was updated on August 24, 2025 to clarify the accuracy of information from Global Firepower.

Why This Matters

Recent global events, especially the war between Russia and Ukraine, highlight the importance of defense capabilities. Eastern European militaries are sitting at a crucial crossroads, and the power dynamics of Eastern Europe hang in the balance. Should Russia advance further into Ukraine, or take over strategic strongholds like Kharkiv, Russia's expansion could cause concern for NATO allies. If any of the conflict spills over into NATO territory, it could trigger Article 5 of the treaty resulting in NATO officially entering the conflict against Russia. (Here is what Europe has donated to Ukraine to fight the Ukraine-Russia War.)

11. Moldova

Military strength score: 4.2311
Active military personnel: 77,500
Total military aircraft: 3
Total military vehicles: 450
Total navy ships and submarines: 0

10. Montenegro

Military strength score: 2.9109
Active military personnel: 7,850
Total military aircraft: 11
Total military vehicles: 662
Total navy ships and submarines: 13

9. Slovakia

Military strength score: 1.1891
Active military personnel: 19,500
Total military aircraft: 37
Total military vehicles: 2,048
Total navy ships and submarines: 0

8. Belarus

Military strength score: 1.0901
Active military personnel: 263,000
Total military aircraft: 183
Total military vehicles: 6,700
Total navy ships and submarines: 0

7. Bulgaria

Military strength score: 1.0132
Active military personnel: 40,000
Total military aircraft: 65
Total military vehicles: 7,420
Total navy ships and submarines: 40

6. Hungary

Military strength score: 0.8478
Active military personnel: 76,600
Total military aircraft: 62
Total military vehicles: 7,797
Total navy ships and submarines: 0

5. Romania

Military strength score: 0.7712
Active military personnel: 151,300
Total military aircraft: 131
Total military vehicles: 9,990
Total navy ships and submarines: 20

4. Czechia

Military strength score: 0.7706
Active military personnel: 32,200
Total military aircraft: 88
Total military vehicles: 6,757
Total navy ships and submarines: 0

3. Poland

Military strength score: 0.2917
Active military personnel: 602,100
Total military aircraft: 468
Total military vehicles: 13,956
Total navy ships and submarines: 45

2. Ukraine

Military strength score: 0.2598
Active military personnel: 2,200,000
Total military aircraft: 321
Total military vehicles: 22,110
Total navy ships and submarines: 104

1. Russia

Military strength score: 0.0702
Active military personnel: 3,570,000
Total military aircraft: 4,255
Total military vehicles: 161,382
Total navy ships and submarines: 781

Russia Has Over 600 More Naval Ships Than Any Rival