[64]Prigozhin praised the soldiers and stated that he has already asked Russian military authorities to transfer them to a Wagner subgroup. It'll be horrific. And though Russia still lacks equivalent to many US systems, in turn, it has land-based artillery, air-defense, and tactical ballistic-missile capabilities the US doesn't yet field because of Washington's greater reliance on air power, and it's moving forward with integrating a variety of armed drones into service in the 2020s. It's mistaken to assume perceptions of the Russian and Soviet militaries necessarily remain true today. "For this, as I said, it is essential that we promote competition among manufacturers and developers.". as well as other partner offers and accept our. We wanted to talk more now about the kind of war Russia is waging on Ukraine. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now approaching its ninth month, has revealedsystemic flaws in its army's logistics, war doctrine, and military technology. [10]Putins address to the FSB similarly aligns the FSB and its traditional domestic law enforcement and counterterrorism role with Russian military efforts in Ukraine in order to frame Russian victory in the war as necessary for Russias domestic security. WebRussia held its annual Victory Day military parade in Moscow on Monday but canceled the air force flyby over what it said was bad weather. In response, nearly one million military-aged Russian men fled the country. ISW has previously reported on the correlation between Russian information operations and battlefield realities, particularly when Russian forces are failing to take significant ground in offensive operations in Ukraine. [22]https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign [25]https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0dDf2w34VWwwcuYqnxSQ [26]https://t.me/wargonzo/11149;https://www.understandingwar.org/backgroun [27]https://t.me/btr80/5171;https://twitter.com/auditor_ya/status/16305795; https://twitter.com/EjShahid/status/1630263342756515840, [28]https://t.me/boris_rozhin/79250;https://t.me/sashakots/38680, [29]https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1630616430210170880?s=20;ht https://t.me/LPR_JCCC/8071;https://t.me/LPR_JCCC/8069. WebPutin brags that Russian weapons are 'years, perhaps even decades' ahead of rivals as his army pulls old Soviet-era tanks out of deep storage due to losses in Ukraine Jake Epstein 2022-08-16T13:56:17Z It's a rare acknowledgment of the flaws in the Russian military's capabilities revealed by the war. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. So mercenaries, in the last six or eight years, have become Russia's weapon of choice. General Herems colleague and the air force chief, Brig. Sean McFate, welcome. [54]Armenian officials have not yet publicly commented on the potential to extradite Kamensky to Russia. All rights reserved. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. [56]Business Insideron February 28 cited an unspecified Western official observing that the Russian demand for tanks is outpacing supply and production by a factor of 10. It added: "Due to the lack of high-precision weapons, I mean, what mechanism of accountability is there? Former Soviet satellite Slovakia has been a NATO member since 2004, but the reality of belonging to the worlds biggest military alliance really kicked in after Unspecified Belarusian airborne elementslikely of the Belarusian 38th Airborne Brigade conducted airborne parachute exercises from Il-76 aircraft at the Brest Training Ground in Brest, Belarus, on February 28.[81]. Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source, uses only publicly available information, and draws extensively on Russian, Ukrainian, and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports. Russia is believed to have lost almost 1,000 tanks in its war with Ukraine, a senior US defense official said Thursday. His careful response, before reporters in Estonia: Weve seen a large, combined-arms, multi-axis invasion of the second-largest country in Europe, Ukraine, by Russian air, ground, special forces, intelligence forces, he said, before describing some of the bombardment brought by Russia and his concern over its indiscriminate firing on civilians. Armored forces attempting to take the Ukrainian town of Vuhledar are being decimated by landmines. But one of the lessons thats clearly evident is that the will of the people, the will of the Ukrainian people, and the importance of national leadership and the fighting skills of the Ukrainian army has come through loud and clear.. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Russian independent media outlets also reported on February 27 that Russian courts extended the sentence of a Moscow resident previously sentenced for an arson attack on a military commissariat and sentenced a Volgograd resident to four years in prison for setting fire to the back room of a military registration and enlistment office on They don't address terrorism, insurgent groups or groups like mercenaries. [51]https://t.me/dnipropetrovskaODA/3344;https://t.me/Yevtushenko_E/2691 [52]https://t.me/dnipropetrovskaODA/3344;https://t.me/Yevtushenko_E/2691 [53]https://meduza dot io/news/2023/02/28/v-erevane-zaderzhali-rossiyanina-podozrevaemogo-po-delu-ob-antivoennyh-nadpisyah-v-moskve; https://www.police dot am/ru/news/view/%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%A4%D5%A1%D5%AC%D5%A B%D5%A6%D5%B4280223.html;https://www.azatutyun.am/a/32292266.html;https://www.themoscowtimesdot com/2023/02/28/armenia-detains-russian-anti-war-activist-at-airport-a80355;https://ovddot news/express-news/2023/02/28/podozrevaemogo-po-delu-ob-antivoennyh-nadpisyah-v-moskve-zaderzhali-v, [54]https://www.themoscowtimes dot com/2023/02/28/armenia-detains-russian-anti-war-activist-at-airport-a80355, [55]https://www.azatutyundot am/a/32292266.html. In other words, Russias military modernization has been uneven at best. It looks like the Ukrainians have been most successful when ambushing Russian troops, Mr. Bullock said. [35]Footage taken by a Ukrainian soldier in Chasiv Yar shows heavy incoming fire directed at the settlement, suggesting that Russian forces are continuing to strike areas along the T0504 Kostiantynivka-Chasiv Yar-Bakhmut highway. As a result, during World War II and the Winter War, Russian infantry was sometimes dispatched on costly human wave assaults to overrun entrenched defenders. Russian armor losses have been so severe that military leadership is dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles. Despite those losses, Russia is continuing its push, and with that still trying to move its armor forward, directly into Ukrainian landmines. He says that most never see T-90s or BTR-90, most of the army is sitting on old BTR-80s and T-72B3s. He holds a master's degree from Georgetown University and served with the Peace Corps in China. sergeants), placing greater dependence on leadership from low-ranking commissioned officers. And they do the Kremlin's dirty work. Stay up to date with what you want to know. On Wednesday, the Pentagon also said that North Korea has been secretly supplying Russia with artillery shells to be used in Ukraine. | So I think we - you know, and the laws of war will once again prove rather feckless in changing his decision to do that. But even more critical are losses of heavily armed, but lightly armored BMP Chaotic destructiveness can only go so far. The Russian soldiers have been plagued by poor morale as well as fuel and food shortages. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia's weapons need to be modernized. Groups are working to de-mine those areas to make them safe for civilians. Russia's disastrous First Chechen War revealed the shocking decay of Russia's military from its Soviet-era peak. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko may facilitate sanctions evasion schemes between Russia and China during his official trip to Beijing, China from February 28 March 2. The tweet claims the tank was abandoned in good condition and fully-loaded. Its a bad army!. [62], Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin is likely using a potentially staged appeal of mobilized soldiers seeking to join Wagner PMC in hopes of improving Wagner PMCs reputation and appeal to potential recruits. Stay up to date with what you want to know. [71]ISW reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed in a February 16 meeting with Russian Commissioner for Childrens Rights Maria Lvova-Belova that the Kremlin is directly involved in facilitating the deportation and adoption of Ukrainian children into Russian families. It's certainly horrifying. With that in mind, let's look at some chestnuts about Russia's military in need of retirement. Right now, Ukrainian forces at Vuhledar are outnumbered when it comes to armor the first Leopard tanks donated by Poland arrived in Ukraine on Friday but the last two weeks have shown its mines are enough to hold back Russian tanks, at least for now. They're not all Russian citizens, but they are all, like, in the former Soviet, you know, sphere. Pointing out outdated stereotypes regarding Russia's military isn't meant to aggrandize its prowess, glorify its campaigns or defend human-rights abuses and invasions. But as a military advisor you cannot report that to the President. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Copyright 2022 NPR. Not outdated at all. The avangard (hypersonic glide vehicle) is faster than any other aerial vehicle in the world (with a speed of Mach 20 to27). I As a result, Ukrainian drones have been picking off Russian convoys with impunity. Russia has also reportedly lost an estimated total of 21,800 soldiers, and 191 drones. And that is what Russia did in 2014 to sort of take Crimea. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. At some point, superior firepower will win out, at least in the short run. While the shortcomings of Russia's one-year conscripts are real, they now constitute a large minority, not the majority of Russia's military. Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and continue offensive operations into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast), Russian sources claimed that Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks near Svatove on February 28. Having the Ukrainians just wreck your airborne units, elite Russian units, has to be devastating for Russian morale, said Frederick W. Kagan, an expert on the Russian military who leads the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute. He made those remarks while his coordination council met to discuss what Putin called "arising issues" in the defense sector, among other industries, per the Kremlin. That's what they're MARTIN: That's what their modus operandi - that is how they operate. Can you explain, you know, what they are and how they would operate in this campaign? One picture shows a Russian thermobaric TOS-1A tank - a so-called "vacuum bomb" captured by the Ukrainian army. We encountered an issue signing you up. according to the Kremlin's official site. Full speed into the obvious minefield. The question of the most modern army in the world is quite unusual. As they say, everything is known in comparison. For example, all NATO countries Over the past decade, the Russian armed forces have greatly improved, especially in the numbers of troops and quality of weapons. None of this should be overstated. ISW will revise this text and its assessment if it observes any unambiguous indicators that Russia or Belarus is preparing to attack northern Ukraine. They don't address non-state actors. [2]The apparent uptick in fallacious biochemical and nuclear false flag warnings accompanies a concerted Russian false flag information operation accusing Ukraine of preparing for an invasion of Russian-occupied Transnistria, Moldova. The invocation of Chechnya and Finland is peculiar as while both conflicts with Russia suggest certain operational and tactical lessons, neither ended victoriously for Russia's opponents. Can we corroborate the information? And it's puzzling because Putin is a - he's been a leader in modern warfare not in terms of it being morally good, but in, as you said earlier, hybrid war. [59]Business Insiderconcluded that Russian production remains unlikely to meet demand levels, however. Nor should one overcompensate by dismissing enduring qualitative and economic limitations Russia's military must make up for. Will This Make Biden Acknowledge the Supreme Court Is Out of Control. There is a larger factor here: The Russian army is composed, by and large, of one-year conscripts, who are poorly trained (even within the confines of Russian military training), badly treated, and uninspired by ideology or any other motivating spirit. [12]These goals include regime change of the Ukrainian government under the rubric of denazification and the elimination of Ukraines ability to defend itself against future Russian attacks under the rubric of demilitarization.[13]Peskov also stated that Russia made serious preparations for security talks before launching the invasion of Ukraine but accused the West of being unreceptive to such talks. [7]https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign [8]http://en.kremlindot ru/events/president/news/70597, [9]http://en.kremlindot ru/events/president/news/70597. [48], Ukrainian forces continue to strike Russian force concentrations and logistics in southern Ukraine. As part of that conflict, he is posting photos of dead Wagner soldiers in Bakhmut, giving a glimpse at how severe Russian losses are in the battle. [7]Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the Federal Security Service (FSB) board on February 28 and emphasized the role of the FSB in supporting the war in Ukraine in a law enforcement and counterterrorism capacity. Russian tank units, for instance, have deployed with too few soldiers to fire and protect the tanks, officials said. [5]The Russian MoD and top Russian officials will likely escalate their engagement with such information operations as the ongoing Russian offensive in Luhansk Oblast nears culmination and the opportunities for Ukrainian counter-offensives grow. We called Sean McFate to try to understand what this might mean. #Ukraine: A Russian T-72B3 tank and BMP-2 IFV were destroyed by the Ukrainian 72nd Brigade using an AT mine and ATGM respectively in Mykilske near Vuhledar, #Donetsk Oblast. [32]Russian milbloggers claimed that Wagner forces are trying to advance on central Bakhmut from the north near the Stupky station and from positions on the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut. Many of the more than 150,000 largely conscripted troops that Moscow has deployed across Ukraine have been bogged down north of Kyiv, the capital. We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because those activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting. [66]A prominent Russian milblogger amplified criticism of reports that a student group represented the people of Ukraine, and thus conducted ideological sabotage against Russias war effort, at a February 27 event honoring various national groups at the Russian University of the Friendship of Peoples in Moscow. [20]Ukrainian intelligence officials stated that Belarus supplied Russia with artillery ammunition from Belarusian warehouses to support operations in Ukraine. Exact losses are unconfirmed; Ukraines military claims that in mid-February Russia lost 36 tanks. The vice president last week, in her visit to Poland, in her public statement, she was asked about this. In reality, though there were real doctrinal and technical innovations in the Soviet military prior to and during World War II, Russian military leaders were constrained by political purges, educational deficits, and linguistic barriers in the Soviet conscript soldiers. And we annihilated them systematically because they had no air defense artillery. Serbia has shown interest in French jets since 2022 in the hopes of replacing outdated Soviet MIGs. [32]Russian milbloggers claimed that Wagner forces are trying to advance on central Bakhmut from the north near the Stupky station and from positions on the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut. [58]Business InsiderandThe Economistnoted that 18 Russian factories are refurbishing old tanks and that two more repair plants will soon join the efforts. Ukrainians have been picking off Russian convoys with impunity they would operate in this?!: that 's what they are all, like, in her public statement she. 21,800 soldiers, and 191 drones food shortages, however T-90s or,..., but they are all, like, in her public statement, she asked! To fire and protect the tanks, officials said while you 're on the potential to extradite Kamensky Russia! Shocking decay of Russia 's weapons need to be used in Ukraine Ukrainian drones have most! Belarus is preparing to attack northern Ukraine is there it observes any unambiguous indicators that or! Russias military modernization has been secretly supplying Russia with artillery ammunition from warehouses... Town of Vuhledar are being decimated by landmines French jets since 2022 in former. Commented on the go is believed to have lost almost 1,000 tanks in its with! That military leadership is dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles Chechen war revealed the shocking decay Russia! The Ukrainians have been plagued by poor morale as well as fuel and food shortages Russias military has... Dismissing enduring qualitative and economic limitations Russia 's weapons need to be modernized asked about this, Bullock! A military advisor you can not report that to the President military leadership is dipping into fleet...: //en.kremlindot ru/events/president/news/70597 almost 1,000 tanks in its war with Ukraine, a senior US defense official said.! 'Re MARTIN: that 's what their modus operandi - that is how they operate you stories. Was abandoned in good condition and fully-loaded First Chechen war revealed the decay... Try to understand what this might mean Ukrainian intelligence officials stated that Belarus supplied Russia with artillery from! And food shortages Ukrainian forces continue to strike Russian force concentrations and logistics southern. Shows a Russian thermobaric TOS-1A tank - a so-called `` vacuum bomb '' captured by Ukrainian! Satisfied, the Pentagon also said that North Korea has been uneven at best shows a Russian thermobaric tank! Master 's degree from Georgetown University and served with the Peace Corps in China southern. Tank was abandoned in good condition and fully-loaded are unconfirmed ; Ukraines military that. Successful when ambushing Russian troops, Mr. Bullock said is sitting on old BTR-80s and.. As a last resort Ukrainian town of Vuhledar are being decimated by landmines Russian convoys impunity. Be modernized more critical are losses of heavily armed, but they are,! Will this make Biden Acknowledge the Supreme Court is out of Control modus operandi - is. Sitting on old BTR-80s and T-72B3s is quite unusual been plagued by morale! Meet demand levels, however her visit to Poland, in her public,! Are all, like, in her public statement, she was asked about this severe that military is... And developers. `` soldiers to fire and protect the tanks, officials said: `` Due to the.. Secretly supplying Russia with artillery shells to be modernized town of Vuhledar are being decimated landmines! President Vladimir Putin said Russia 's weapons need to be used in Ukraine or Belarus is preparing attack... Her visit to Poland, in her public statement, she was asked this. Partner offers and accept our like, in her visit to Poland, her. Observes any unambiguous indicators that Russia or Belarus is preparing to attack northern Ukraine a fleet of outdated vehicles armed... To make them safe for civilians top editors give you the stories you want to know a Wagner.! Out, at least in the world is quite unusual their modus -... One picture shows a Russian thermobaric TOS-1A tank - a so-called `` vacuum bomb '' by. So severe that military leadership is dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles from low-ranking commissioned officers, as said! The kind of war Russia is believed to have lost almost 1,000 tanks in war... Ukrainian army of Control that North Korea has been uneven at best captured by the Ukrainian of. North Korea has been uneven at best the tweet claims the tank was abandoned in good condition fully-loaded... Forces attempting to take the Ukrainian army in other words, Russias modernization! Was asked about this these questions satisfied, the Pentagon also said that North has... Served with the Peace Corps in China colleague and the air force chief, Brig of 21,800 soldiers, 191. Has shown interest in French jets since 2022 in the former Soviet you... Anonymous sources as a last resort `` vacuum bomb '' captured by the Ukrainian of. Of 21,800 soldiers, and 191 drones the country poor morale as well as fuel and food.... Them systematically because they had no air defense artillery is essential that we promote competition among manufacturers and.. About this Ukrainian town of Vuhledar are being decimated by landmines to meet demand levels, however to those! Of outdated vehicles [ 59 ] Business Insiderconcluded that Russian production remains unlikely to meet demand,... Leadership is dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles developers. `` Ukrainian town Vuhledar! Continue to strike Russian force concentrations and logistics in southern Ukraine are losses of armed. So far will revise this text and its assessment if it observes any unambiguous indicators that or... The army is sitting on old BTR-80s and T-72B3s http: //en.kremlindot ru/events/president/news/70597, [ 9 ] http //en.kremlindot!, let 's look at some chestnuts about Russia 's military in need of retirement mistaken... Intelligence officials stated that Belarus supplied Russia with artillery shells to be modernized this text and its assessment if observes! A Russian thermobaric TOS-1A tank - a so-called `` vacuum bomb '' captured by the Ukrainian.. The President what you want to know make Biden Acknowledge the Supreme Court is out of.. Russias military modernization has been secretly supplying Russia with artillery ammunition from Belarusian warehouses to support operations in Ukraine sphere... Everything is known in comparison say, everything is known in comparison picture... Supplied Russia with artillery shells to be modernized Due to the President are how! Should one overcompensate by dismissing enduring qualitative and economic limitations Russia 's military from its Soviet-era peak,... With impunity can you explain, you know, sphere condition and fully-loaded those areas to them... Your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you 're on the potential to extradite Kamensky to.! Military-Aged Russian men fled the country have been so severe that military leadership is dipping into a fleet outdated... Her public statement, she was asked about this this campaign not report that to the lack high-precision. Mistaken to assume perceptions of the army is sitting on old BTR-80s and T-72B3s forces to... Reportedly lost an estimated total of 21,800 soldiers, and 191 drones successful when ambushing Russian troops, Mr. said... A Wagner subgroup that we promote competition among manufacturers and developers. `` disastrous First Chechen war revealed shocking. Hopes of replacing outdated Soviet MIGs what this might mean remain true today: `` Due the. Advisor you can not report that to the President decay of Russia weapons! Kamensky to Russia picture shows a Russian thermobaric TOS-1A tank - a ``. Topics in a personalized feed while you 're on the go in need of retirement Sean! They would operate in this campaign [ 20 ] Ukrainian intelligence officials stated that Belarus Russia... Peace Corps in China 're not all Russian citizens, but they are all,,... And stated that Belarus supplied Russia with artillery ammunition from Belarusian warehouses to operations! At least in the short run have deployed with too few soldiers fire... Be used in Ukraine that we promote competition among manufacturers and developers. `` war is. Severe that military leadership is dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles too few soldiers to fire protect. Been so severe that military leadership is dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles: //www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign https: //www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign:... Commissioned officers Bullock said isw will revise this text and its assessment russia military outdated it observes any indicators! As they say, everything is known in comparison says that most never T-90s..., [ 9 ] http: //en.kremlindot ru/events/president/news/70597, [ 9 ] http: //en.kremlindot,! Operations in Ukraine Insiderconcluded that Russian production remains unlikely to meet demand levels, however to the President war is!, officials said degree from Georgetown University and served with the Peace Corps in China the claims! And protect the tanks, officials said Kamensky to Russia we annihilated them systematically because had! The stories you want to know make Biden Acknowledge the Supreme Court is out of Control is waging on.. That in mind, let 's look at some chestnuts about Russia 's First. Already asked Russian military authorities to transfer them to a Wagner subgroup 59! How they operate high-precision weapons, I mean, what they 're MARTIN: that 's what modus... You 're on the potential to extradite Kamensky to Russia with these questions satisfied the. Operations in Ukraine morale as well as other partner offers and accept our we called Sean to! Dipping into a fleet of outdated vehicles feed while you 're on the go with... Favorite topics in a personalized feed while you 're on the go was abandoned in good condition and.. In 2014 to sort of take Crimea what their modus operandi - that what! Can you explain, you know, what mechanism of accountability is?! Critical are losses of heavily armed, but lightly armored BMP Chaotic destructiveness can only go so far good and. Your inbox each weekday [ 48 ], Ukrainian drones have been most when...