Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 02/11/2023; Author: Marko Vukajlović
Recent discussions among military enthusiasts have revolved around a study ranking the world’s most powerful armies. For those with an affinity for Russia’s military prowess, the findings bring positive news – Russia has surpassed the USA!
Regional media are reporting the following headline:
Americans acknowledge: the Russian army is the best in the world
…except the reality is a bit different.
Acknowledging this claim would be challenging for Americans, given the substantial disproportion in military expenditures across the pond and in Moscow. Regional media are referencing a study conducted by the US News & World Report magazine, which established that the Russians are ahead of the Americans.
Not only does almost the entire Google search indicate that Russia occupies the second place, behind the USA, but in their list, Ukraine or Germany are highly ranked countries in this regard, while they do not really make it into the top 10 in other research.
While the magazine in question boasts a reputable 90-year tradition, there’s a possibility of a misstep in their recent ranking. A thorough Google search contradicts their claim, consistently placing Russia second to the USA. Moreover, the discrepancy is evident when comparing their list to rankings by other credible sources, like Statista and Global Firepower
According to data from these reliable sources, the lineup looks quite different. Both Statista and Global Firepower, extensively covered by credible global media, list the USA as the top military power, followed by Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, France, and so forth. Unlike these sources, the US News & World Report places both Ukraine and Germany high on the list.
The article with the controversial title in regional media, discussing the scale of power of global military forces, concludes:
“Earlier, the White House Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, said that Russia could achieve tactical success in the conflict in Ukraine in the coming months. According to him, Washington expects Russia to intensify their offensive actions.”
The link between Kirby’s statement and the claim that “Americans have admitted” the Russian army is the world’s best is unclear, raising concerns about potential bias in the reporting. Moreover, the claim that “Americans have admitted” that the Russian army is the best in the world is not accurate. While the publication regional media refers to might not be entirely inaccurate, the title appears to be misleading and requires careful consideration.
Because of this, the controversial post is rated as – disinformation.
The “Disinformation” rating is given to a media report that contains a mix of facts and incorrect or half-true content. In such cases, the media may not necessarily be aware of incorrect information being published alongside the true ones. Also, this grade will be given to media reports with false attributions or titles that do not reflect the text in terms of information accuracy.