Russian army - giant with feet of clay

[Bonobo]

The Russian army`s poor performance in Ukraine displays it is troubled by a lot of serious shortcomings.

One of the signs of the weakness of the Russian army is the fact it sends young conscripts, practically boys, to fight in Ukraine.

What the fact that conscripts are fighting in Ukraine tells us about the condition of the Russian army
Pushing unprofessional soldiers into battle is a sign of desperation.

Suzanne B. Freeman, Katherine Kjellstrom Elgin
7.1 thous.
Today, 13:40
Russian army in UkraineRussian army in Ukraine - EPA / STRINGER / PAP


Conscription is a thorny topic in Russia, and the Kremlin's use of conscripts indicates to what extent the country's leaders believed they could hide the cost of the war from society. But now that their deployment has become public, what does Russia's continued use of conscripts tell us about this war and the future course of the conflict?

The short answer is that the war is not going as well as planned, and the use of conscripts may create more problems for the Russian leadership.

The Russian military personnel consists of four basic groups: officers, (a very small pool of) non-commissioned officers, contract workers and conscripts. Historically, conscription in Russia has been used to ensure that large sections of the population receive military training in the event of mobilization for a great war and to reduce the cost of maintaining the army.

Invasion of Ukraine. The USA is considering disconnecting Russia from the GPS system [LIVE REPORT]
As a rule, military personnel in Russia are not allowed to travel abroad. Under current law, Russia requires all men between the ages of 18 and 27 to report for conscription, usually for a period of one year, and then transfer to the mandatory reserve.

Currently, most estimates say that around 25 percent. of the Russian army consists of conscripts, the number of which varies according to the military service and the type of unit. And although Russia has attempted to switch to a professional army - mainly to increase the level of training and expertise of its soldiers - the country has to reconcile professionalisation with the need to maintain a large army.

However, public support for conscription in Russia is limited, and the very appointment of conscripts is controversial. Conscripts tend to be less capable than their contract counterparts because their length of service limits their training. And although a longer conscription period would lead to the creation of a more efficient conscription force, such a decision would prove unpopular with the Russian public.

Consequently, if they are exploited, conscripts are typically hired in less technical-savvy roles, such as logistics, which has already proved to be a key problem in Russian operations in Ukraine.

Moreover, because of the widespread abuse of conscripts - the brutal Russian version of the Polish wave - used since the Soviet Union, conscripts also have lower morale and the units they serve have less coherence. The Russian military has had various successes in reducing the effects of this phenomenon, but bullying remains a serious problem, leading to widespread attempts to obtain discharge from service.

Moreover, the use of conscripts in active combat will affect many Russian families and may cause a negative public reaction as the number of victims increases. During the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s, the Soviet command was so concerned about public indignation over the victims and the denial of the reality of the war that it sent home soldiers killed in action in sealed zinc coffins. This comparison shouldn't escape anyone's head.

Apparently, the internal pressure is so strong that the Russian government has felt compelled to admit that they are serving conscripts in Ukraine. Last Tuesday, Putin promised that no Russian conscripts would be used in the war against Ukraine, but a day later the Defense Ministry publicly confirmed that there were Russian conscripts in Ukraine and that some of them had been taken prisoner.

The Russian government has pledged to send them all home and prevent their further deployment. And earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a speech on stopping the conflict, directly appealed to Russian conscripts to surrender.

Prior to their official announcement, reports of their presence were circulating in Russia, and although information from Ukraine is difficult to decode, texts to mothers and videos of crying soldiers at the front appeared. Videos of Russian prisoners suggest that at least some of them did not know they were going to fight in Ukraine, and there are reports of low morale among Russian soldiers.

In Russia, the Committee of Mothers of Soldiers also expressed concern that conscripts are forced to sign contracts before crossing the border with Ukraine - a practice reportedly used by Russia in Ukraine in 2014.

The use of conscripts by the Russian military, despite all these shortcomings, proves that the Kremlin thought of this campaign as very easy. Conscripts do not serve elite units, and early assessments of Russian operational plans suggest that it was the elite units that were supposed to secure the area quickly and without much resistance.

In the face of the unexpected results of the Ukrainian army, however, Russia had to send more units to combat and it is unlikely that it would have used conscripts if it did not consider it necessary - their involvement may also be a sign that attempts by contract soldiers to meet the military's staffing needs failed.

And if, as suggested by the Russian government, the sending of conscripts to Ukraine was accidental, this is a bad sign of the Russian command, as well as of serious problems with personnel control in the Russian officer corps.

The situation also suggests the extent to which Russian officials had to assume that they could control domestic discourse. While the Kremlin controls most of the media coverage and tightens its control of the information space more and more, bad news from the front is hard to hide. And when mothers are unable to call their sons or when they begin to return with wounds or in coffins, the realities of the war can fuel the anger of the Russian people, as was the case during the Soviet-Afghan war.

So the hands of the Russian government are tied. As the war is more difficult than anticipated, the military needs more personnel in combat and support roles. However, if it continues to use conscripts, especially in large numbers, this can be seen as a sign of increasing desperation.

Pushing more recruits into Ukraine or using them after promises to be brought home not only means that the Russian military is sending less capable forces to the front, but also risks increasing the human cost of the war in the country, which could lead to further public outrage .

Regardless of the reason for their deployment, the use of Russian conscripts in the war in Ukraine is a bad sign of the Russian army's capabilities and readiness for this conflict. And while we still do not know to what extent conscripts are represented in the Russian forces in Ukraine or in what units they are fighting, the way in which the Russian military will deal with them in the future will be a clear indicator of his involvement in the war and how well according to him, it is running.

www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/co-wykorzystanie-rosyjskich-poborowych-mowi-nam-o-wojnie-na-ukrainie/z8m50xj,79cfc278

Young Russian POWs

[Bonobo]

Russian war logistic sucks - they seem unable to provide fuel and ammo for their military vehicles. That is why Ukrainians capture a lot of Russian armour in good condition after crews abandoned them on the road or in the field.

Here, an article about crucial lack of supply trucks
www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/wojna-rosja-ukraina-najwiekszy-problem-armii-putina-widac-go-na-zdjeciach/yhq8144,79cfc278





This is the biggest problem for Putin's army. You can see it in the photos
Without it, the soldiers will not get to the front line, they will not receive weapons, food and other elements necessary for life and combat. A truck may turn out to be more important than tanks and missiles during military operations. Meanwhile, a lot of photos and videos are circulating on the web showing Russian vehicles damaged or destroyed by fire. According to experts cited by CNN, this is one of the key problems faced by the Russian army.

2.1K
Today, 13:23

During the war in Ukraine, Russia lost over USD 10 billion worth of equipment and weapons. The list of losses includes, among others trucks delivering ammunition, food and other supplies for the military
There are many photos circulating on the web showing the destroyed or damaged trucks of the invader. It is a kind of symbol of the Russians' logistical troubles, which prevent them from moving smoothly in Ukraine
According to experts, the Russians do not care for the equipment that was so important during the war, they do not maintain it and do not use it properly


Russian trucks burn, wear out and break down. Their photos symbolize the logistical struggle of Putin's army during the invasion of Ukraine. They are analyzed by specialists who, inter alia, on the basis of such materials, they assess the current state and course of the war and forecast the direction in which it may go. The picture that emerges from these figures does not look optimistic for Russia.

"Everything the army needs for its tasks comes from a truck," said CNN Trent Telenko, a former quality control auditor at the US Defense Contracts Management Agency.

- The weapon is not the tank itself, but the missile. And this missile is transported by truck - emphasizes Telenko, adding that it is not only about weapons or ammunition, but also food, fuel, medical supplies, and even the soldiers themselves. All of this is based on logistics supply lines that are heavily reliant on trucks. And here Russia has a problem.

Expensive equipment needs regular maintenance
Some photos show that the Russians do not care about the military equipment. Telenko describes one that shows tire damage to a million dollar Pancyr S1 missile truck. He says that with such expensive equipment, its maintenance must be regular. Meanwhile, the tires fell apart after only a few weeks of hostilities.

Russian Pancyr S1 self-propelled missile systemRussian self-propelled missile system Pancyr S1 - Sputnik via AFP / AFP
According to the expert, the condition of the Pancyr S1 vehicles is a gross mistake on the part of Russia and there is a high probability that all Russian equipment is treated this way. The famous saying of General Omar Bradley from World War II is true here: "amateurs talk about strategy, professionals talk about logistics".

At the beginning of the war, it was loud about the long, 64-kilometer Russian convoy that got stuck 30 km from Kiev. Equipment failures were largely the cause - more important than the Ukrainian resistance itself.

A civilian truck cannot replace a military one
Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at St. Andrews, Scotland, sees another "bad sign" for Russian logistics: the use of civilian trucks to replace damaged military vehicles.

- Civilian trucks are not manufactured for military use. They are not designed to carry loads, they are not designed to carry specific equipment, and in many cases they cannot even run off the road, says O'Brien, quoted by CNN. He adds that in such cases there is a problem with maintenance, replacement of parts, but most of all with the load.

A damaged Russian truck in TrościaniecDamaged Russian truck in Trościaniec - Chris McGrath / Staff / Getty Images
Not "effective" enough to care for them
O'Brien suggests that Russia has neglected its trucks largely because they are not as impressive examples of military development as modern weapon systems, such as hypersonic missiles or submarines with ballistic missiles. Often dictators are good at effective weapons, they buy fancy planes and fancy tanks, but they don't buy the less flashy stuff, O'Brien tells CNN.

Another reason is the use of inexperienced people to operate the equipment, often conscripts after only one year of training. In addition, there is corruption, which is widespread in the Russian army, which may result, for example, in the purchase of substandard equipment, purchase of low-quality replacements, and concealment of actual expenses.

According to Telenko, some effects are now visible on the battlefield. He says the money that should be spent on maintenance "probably lines the pockets of the officers in charge of the soldiers that would operate the trucks."


"Ukraine is roughly the size of Texas"
Experts also point to other factors contributing to the deterioration of Russian logistics. For example, an ineffective and too long loading and unloading system, which means that trucks are doomed to long-term immobilization, but also higher fuel consumption.

All these problems only exacerbate the problems facing Moscow in an already difficult struggle, given the distances. "Trucks can normally run up to 90 miles (approx. 145 km) from their warehouse," Telenko points out.

"But Ukraine is roughly the size of Texas, almost 800 miles (1,287 km) wide and 350 miles (563 km) long," he adds. This means that Russia would have to open numerous supply depots in Ukraine in order for its troops to advance further into the country.

According to information from Ukraine, as well as from published photos and videos, Russia has already lost a significant part of its trucks. According to information from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense from the beginning of April, the total value of arms and military equipment lost by Russian forces during the war with Ukraine exceeded USD 10 billion.

(BM)

[Bonobo]

Story about Russ soldiers who look and behave like savages. Reminds Ukrainians and other Europeans of Mongolian hordes in the past.

wydarzenia.interia.pl/raporty/raport-ukraina-rosja/aktualnosci/news-wygladaja-jak-banda-bezdomnych-ukrainka-opowiedziala-o-rosyj,nId,5962812


The Ukrainian woman told about the Russian army
Compiled by: Dawid Kryska
UKRAINE - RUSSIA 1 hour 7 minutes ago

This army looks like some sort of jumble. (...) Like a gang of the homeless. In the vicinity of Chersoń, they were not even Russians. All very young. Almost kids. There is nothing but rubbish where they stand. The roadsides are littered with rubbish, said Katia, who escaped from Kherson. The 18-year-old also told about life in the city occupied by the Russians and shared the story of her neighbor who was tortured by Russian soldiers.

18-year-old Katia is a second-year student of journalism at the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts. Since childhood, she has lived in the only larger city occupied by Russians - Kherson in the south-east of Ukraine. A few days ago the girl escaped from the occupied city and reached her sister living in Gdynia.

"Everyone was riding at their own risk"
- We had unofficial information that allegedly there is a humanitarian corridor and people have been leaving Kherson for several days. Everyone was riding at their own risk. Ten cars gathered from my neighborhood and we drove to the first Russian block-point. In total, there were eight such controls by the Russians. It seems to me that there were about a thousand cars in the convoy wanting to leave the city. It was one big traffic jam from all over town. We were driving a VW passat, four adults and one two-month-old child. We covered the car with the words "Children" on the front and back. On Tuesday, April 5, at 6 am, we left for Mikołajów. It is the only available route to the west. Rockets were flying over the cars all the time. There were explosions.On our way, we passed a war landscape - shops robbed by the Russians, burnt shopping malls and gas stations - says the teenager.

- We drove through Snihurivke and Mykolaiv to Odessa. It took us fourteen hours. On the way, we passed eight Russian block-points and twelve Ukrainian ones. The Russians checked the lockers in the car and stole our beer. They were so happy about it. On the way, we passed burnt kamazes. When the Russians passed our column in BTRs, they aimed at us, but did not shoot. We were afraid to go to the field, when we passed military cars, because everything is mined. All the way to Mikołajów we saw overturned and burnt hailstones and rockets in the ground that did not break apart. On the way there are huge billboards with the slogans: "Russkij korabl, russkij soldat, BTR - idi na ch ...", "1941 fascism 2022 racism", "This is our land and we will defend it, sonny" - he adds.

"Russians have stolen everything"
Katia also told about life in the occupied city. - Russians took cars and buses from many people and companies in the city and drew "zetas" on them. There is a window factory in our town, and they took all the window vans from there. They drew "zetka". They placed machine guns on a trolley, where there was room for windows, and this is how they drove around the city. It's hard to believe what kind of army it is to steal cars from civilians. A friend of my boyfriend's father has a warehouse with electrical parts. The Russians stole everything. They sat down inside and drank the most expensive liquors - whiskey, cognacs that they had previously stolen from stores - she said.

- When they came to us, the officers took their phones. They entered Ukraine without their cameras, and now Russian soldiers boast about the latest iPhones 11, 12 and 13. They are all stolen from shops or taken from Ukrainians. When my friends looked at the phone, because they checked everyone right away, they said that when they saw his Instagram entry again that "Ruscy are ch ...", they will shoot it on the spot. They won't ask for anything. At a friend in Kherson, they saw the Ukrainian flag. They said she was to remove it so they wouldn't see her again. Grandma, aunt, cousin with his wife and child live next door, but they all sleep in the basement under the garage. There is a lot of concrete and it is relatively safe. But not everyone has such a basement - she added.

The woman emphasizes that in the city under Russian occupation "there is a terrible deficit everywhere". - Meat is very expensive, for example, a kilogram costs PLN 80 per zloty, a sausage - PLN 100, a kilo of yeast - PLN 100, flour - PLN 10, and a kilogram of sugar - PLN 15. If someone had supplies, he takes it out of the house and sells what he has, he describes.


"The Russians threw the grenades"
The 18-year-old confirms that anti-Russian demonstrations are taking place in the city. - There was a demonstration and the Russians threw grenades. There is an alley of Ukrainian Heroes, and they wrote "killers". Our men went to wipe with cloths, but the soldiers were standing there. As the civilians got closer, the Russians threw grenades and six people were injured. They shoot their legs at demonstrations. One old gentleman was seriously injured. Additionally, there are black Hyundai vans driving around the city. In them sit masked military personnel also dressed in black. If they don't like someone, they just take them off the street and that person disappears. It is not known what happens to the abducted people later - she said.

According to her, Russian soldiers searched homes all over Kherson.

- It was different. When they came to my grandmother, they were even polite, but they stole sugar and porridge from their friends. And when they entered one of the houses, the residents asked them to leave sweets for the child and they took everything, she reported.

As she added, "at one of our neighbors they destroyed the fence, because the BTR (armored personnel carrier) did not fit. And then they asked: guess how long it will take us to destroy the building with a BTR?".


- They asked - where are you going? Maybe to Mariupol and they laughed. If someone did not open the gate, they fired. In the Kherson high school boarding school, the Ruthenian army made a base. They dug around and painted "zettes" everywhere to indicate that this was their area. They cook their own food in the big canteen. Girls and boys who had left their belongings in the dormitory were stolen all their clothes and sprayed with perfumes. They stole everything. They are ruthless. In front of us lives a handicapped man about 50 years old. It has a modest house. He made a living from the cigarette trade. It was all his income. The Russians wanted to enter his house. He got scared and refused to open, but the soldiers broke in and took five hundred packs of cigarettes from him. Now this man has nothing to live on. There is nothing- she said.

"They burned his arms, legs and genitals"
The Ukrainian woman also told the story of her neighbor who was tortured by the Russians.

- The Russians who came to my neighbor checked his phone. Marcel took a picture of a column of Russian troops from the roof. He was unlucky because he didn't remove the photo. The Russians were sure that he was directing the Ukrainian troops to strike against the Russian columns. Russian soldiers took him to the largest cemetery in Kherson. There his arms, legs and genitals were burned. They broke ribs. They said that for the treason of the Russian Federation there is death on the spot. They took his gold bracelet, chain and phone from him. Finally, they said that they would not waste a bullet on it and left it in this cemetery. Somehow he reached a friend's house, although he had five kilometers to travel half-alive - he reports.


Katia also told about Russian soldiers. “ This army looks like a jumble, and - at least in the Kherson region - they were not Russians. Of the fifty young people from Buryatia, there were a few older Russians. They looked terrible. So dirty. They are not tall, some are five feet and a half, and their uniforms are for a great farmer. These uniforms just hung on them. This army looked like a gang of homeless people. All very young. Almost kids. Where the Russians stand, there is nothing but rubbish. The roadsides are littered with rubbish, she said.