The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, the security of occupied territories, and the defeat of enemy troops. The Ground Forces must be able to achieve these goals both in nuclear war and non-nuclear war, especially without the use of weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, they must be capable of protecting the national interests of Russia within the framework of its international obligations.

The Main Command of the Ground Forces is officially tasked with the following objectives:

• The training of troops for combat, on the basis of tasks determined by the Armed Forces' General Staff.
• The improvement of troops' structure and composition, and the optimization of their numbers, including for special troops.
• The development of military theory and practice.
• The development and introduction of training field manuals, manuals, and methodology.
• The improvement of operational and combat training of the Ground Forces.