( CNN ) -- If a full-fledged war erupts , Ukraine 's military would be dwarfed by its neighbor to the north . As of last month , Russian armed forces numbered 774,500 versus 139,000 for Ukraine , according to Jane 's Information Group . And Russia 's defense budget -- $ 78 billion in 2012 -- dwarfs that of Ukraine -- $ 1.6 billion in 2012 , according to Jane 's Defence Weekly . An article published in June 2011 cited a military expert 's prediction that Ukraine would find itself in a `` defensive vacuum '' for a decade if investment were to remain unchanged . Valentin Badrak , director of the Ukrainian Center for Army , Conversion and Disarmament Studies , was quoted in the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper -- cited by Jane 's -- as saying that programs for developing the Ukrainian Armed Forces were `` at a zero level . '' The government , pointing to a 2010 study , said there was no need for a big army because Ukraine 's primary threats came not from the outside but from internal political destabilization . According to the CIA World Factbook , Ukraine has 15.7 million males and females ages 16-49 fit for military service . Compare that with 45.6 million Russians of similar age who are fit for military service . Those figures may have been on the mind of Ukraine 's acting defense minister , Ihor Tenyuh , on Sunday . He told a closed session of parliament then that Ukraine does not have the military force to resist Russia , according to two parliamentary members present at the meeting . He called for diplomacy to resolve the crisis with Russia , they said . Journalist Victoria Butenko in Kiev , Ukraine , contributed to this report .
Russia 's armed forces number 774,500 ; Ukraine has just 139,000 , a report says . Comment: Ukraine 's government has seen its main threats as internal destabilization .