Despite significant losses and the failure to fully capture Ukraine, Russia is now better prepared for potential aggression against other European nations than before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said Vaidotas Urbelis, a top-ranked official in Lithuania’s Defense Ministry, in an interview to Business Insider on Feb. 14.

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“Now they have experience in fighting large-scale war that should be considered as a part of planning,” Urbelis said.

“If you look just at sheer numbers, Russia now has more people in its armed forces than before the invasion,” adding that Russia has the ability to quickly replenish its lost equipment.

Russia is correcting some early invasion mistakes, including increasing weapon production to fill gaps and rethinking ineffective tactical approaches.

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Lithuania must prepare for the “worst-case scenario” of a Russian attack, Urbelis said, as Russia views Lithuania and its neighboring regions as part of its sphere of interest.

Russia is enhancing its military capabilities and could be ready to initiate aggression against NATO countries within three to four years, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna warned on Feb. 14.

Russia is preparing for military confrontation with the West over the next decade, and only a buildup of armed forces could potentially deter it, Estonia intelligence warned on Feb. 13. Russia has the capacity to produce enough military equipment and mobilize sufficient troops to offset its losses in the war against Ukraine, the group added.

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