Not condoning what the Russians are doing but as someone who has served and was taught the fundamentals of leadership as a NCO, and as a human, my heart goes out to these poor kids and whatever families they are leaving behind. The Ukrainians are learning the hard lessons gained through experience, where as the Russians, not so much... First vehicle - last vehicle then it becomes meat for the grinder.
the russian psyche is to die for the country like bugs defending a colony even though they are the aggressors. they are drilling this stuff into little kids in school now. there are videos of them all marching and stuff. the soldiers are disposable and there are millions available. they have also geared up their industry . they can now produce 300 tanks per year instead of 20. this is bad. ukraine needs our support .
Russia is ramping up their defense industry to 70% above what it was in 2023 (6% of their entire GDP). That is ... a LOT. Further, they're allocating an additional $45B USD from their 2023 coffers. They specifically noted those increases will go toward armor and artillery munitions. That said, the most they've ever produced in a single year is 200, so I seriously doubt they'll be able to produce 300 tanks per year considering the sanctions - unless they decide to mass produce T-62s or something that are mostly analog.
I worked with some really excellent Russian engineers. A few described what it was like dealing with endemic corruption. For example a machine is sent out for major maintenance, after 6 months it comes back all shiny and clean. Paperwork describes total overhaul. Machine goes on line, defects only. Turns out machine was given cosmetic service only, the procurement chief had it cleaned and painted at a relatives warehouse who has zero facility or knowledge. Next, material comes in with all certificates. Parts are fabricated which fail test. Alloy is wrong. Etc. The result being that cost and schedule go out to infinity. So you can spend 500 billion but you get maybe 10% value out of it. The more complex the supply chain the worse it is. But I suppose they can buy tanks from China and slip them in.
Basically it means, "You know I'm lying, I know I'm lying, but I'm not going to stop and no one is going to do anything about it"
The channel "Perun" has a fantastic video called, "How Corruption Destroys Armies - Theft, Graft, and Russian failure in Ukraine" It's a long video, but very detailed and objective. Highly recommend his channel in general if you've never seen any of his videos.
As a Ukrainian-American I will say it's not just Russia that tends to struggle with this "issue" but Ukraine did as well, but now that it's in a war for it's existence it's largely disappeared as people won't put up with it now. From what I understand it's died down in Russia as well now, but I'm sure it's still there much more as this isn't an existential war for their existence.
they did - Wagner's aborted coup was something to watch unfold.
Korea was pretty insane - so was WW1. I'd say ferocious fighting is not unknown to the west. and the west does also have it's less-than-splendid actions in battle. Kasserine pass and the 106th division in the battle of the bulge come to mind, although it would be unfair to the US to only mention those without mentioning others like Hong Kong and Dieppe.
It is the ruzzian psyche. There are quite a few aspects to it. Maybe Ryan can go into this. Another problem is the ruzzian command structure. They are stuck with a Soviet style of thinking. They are not raised to think the same way as western cultures. I think it could even be a hold over from a serf mentality.
I can’t remember the specific tzar (maybe Peter), but one actually gave the Russian people an opportunity to experience a more western way of living. The people tried it and wanted back under a strong tzarist rule. They actually opted out of independent thinking.
TBH, my in depth study of Russian history goes back to the mid to late 70s. Please jump in and let me know if my knowledge has been corrupted so that I keep my information correct.
Just sad to see the lack of awareness here and watch the remaining T-72 and IFVs just roll up behind the mobility killed MBT with rollers. I noticed the left front roller was missing. I could see the zig-zag formation of AT mines that it hit. The Russians could not have done a better job of allowing such a good ambush the way they didn't retreat as soon as the lead vehicle prevented further advance.
Why did the rearmost IFV go off the already cleared path? Clearly panic made the last remaining IFV chosoe to pass the just destroyed 2nd MBT by passing through the minefield that just killed that tank. This was incompetence , panic, and a total lack of discipline. I feel sorry for the Russian troops likely drafted and minimally trained to feed the meat grinder. Just sad. More Russians should read Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est"
The final remaining vehicle would have been better off to dismount and just run for their lives instead of fleeing into a known minefield. It’s sad to think of the panic and inexperience that could lead you to such a decision.
I wonder if the driver was even in a state of mind to obey orders from the vehicle commander? I wonder which vehicle had the group commander in it? I'd wager he died early in the ambush and panic ensued throughout the group.
I used to have sympathy for Russians, but no more. While it’s understandable to relate to the horrific waste of people’s lives, right now Ukraine is fighting for its survival and I celebrate every Russian casualty and every mistake that they make.
They have no right to be there in the first place, and are actively trying to kill Ukrainians. I hope to see more videos of disastrously failed Russian attacks wasting both equipment and troops, but would celebrate seeing them withdraw and go home even more. There is no reason to die in Ukraine. If Russia stayed within its own borders and stopped trying to kill their neighbours we’d all go back to being largely ambivalent towards them. If they also stopped trying to destabilise the world with organised disinformation campaigns then maybe everyone would be better off.
Then you've allowed Russia to win and that is sad to see. Most of these Russian troops are being lied to and/or forced to go to the front, there are videos all over the internet of Russians trying to retreat and being shot by their own colleagues. If you had a choice - prison or fight, and then you get there with zero training, but if you try to retreat you'll be shot, I suspect your outlook would be different.
I don't blame the average Russian soldier, I blame the people forcing them to be there. Remember, your country's troops will be viewed through the same lens at some point, if they haven't already.
Russian troops in Ukraine, forced or not, are trying to kill my extended family. I don’t care why they are there unless it’s a way to get rid of them. Every single one that dies is one more that is no longer a threat. If they surrender then it’s a different scenario, and I note that Ukraine treats prisoners well vs the Russians continued torture of Ukrainians that they capture. Why should I have any sympathy for someone who is attempting to kill my family?
I used to fall more in line with your viewpoint and it's hard to quantify the the psyche of Russians as it becomes more a practice in anecdotes. Having said that I'm a Ukrainian-American with a strong bias (just being transparent before I give my anecdote).
All the Russians I personally knew were ashamed and disgusted by what Russia did/has done. They by in large left Russia ASAP, while I fully realize most Russians aren't afforded this privilege for various reasons, especially at this point most Russians do know what's going on they just won't talk publicly about it. Most Russians aren't dumb, they just pretend to be in public when they think they are at risk. The sad reality and what I've had a hard time accepting is that IMO 30-40% are very much "for" the war with another ~40% being overly apathetic and/or in denial with the last ~20% being against.
While it's true the Russian government censors A LOT and spreads all sorts of misinformation, most younger Russians are fully aware of this as it's gone on well before the war started. I would argue the average Russian's trust in their government is significantly less than even the average conspiracy minded American's trust in ours. The other thing to keep in mind as well, is most Russians know a lot of Ukrainians and vice versa, while a lot of Russians were in denial especially at the start of the war, it's becoming harder and harder for them to be in denial about everything with all the video/picture evidence. IMO it's hard to argue they don't know what's going on, they are just reaching for excuses and will have a long, hard reckoning similar to what I'd imagine Germans did after WWII.
Now do all the Russians at the front line want to be there? No of course not. Are there some I do have pity for, to some extent yes. Personally if I were ever stuck in that position I MUCH rather go to prison/be punished though. Generally speaking the "storm" troopers were primarily the ones being shot at by "friendly" fire for turning around and the majority of them where convicts and generally not just "minor" ones. So when I see Russians getting killed/destroyed now my general empathy towards them has largely vanished as IMO the vast majority at this point know what's going on.
Ring, ring. It’s the CLUE phone. They’re asking for you.
I think another appropriate term here is SNAFU or cluster eff.
Reminded of a Patton Quotes. Again, these are more paraphrased as he did give the same speech multiple times and there were variations.
You know I actually pity those poor Hun bastards. By God, I do. We are not going to just shoot the bastard, we’re going murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel. We’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks.
Patton could very well have been correct in going after the Soviets. He was from a different age. The world was tired of war. Hannibal didn’t proceed to take out Rome after Cannae. Came back to bite him in the ass later, though. His reasoning was pretty sound at the time, though.
The Russian HC does not care 1 iota about their troops... They literally are meat for the grinder... This is very old Soviet Doctrine... They call themselves the Russian Federation, but it's just Putin trying to reform the Soviet Union... the only reason they haven't overthrown their Government is because they have been suppressing the news very hard and the ones who know better, know not to speak to the wrong people... Until their military decides to end this, it will keep going... Because they keep the Leaders in power...
Every Eurasian serf who dies creates space for a Slavic Russian in the empire. Every convict who dies reduces the cost of their prison system. We see death as a problem, they do not. Putin and his cohort have merged czarist/crime boss systems into one. Only the boss matters.
Aerobomber posted an immediate follow-up to this action conducted by FPV drones dropping grenades. Four Russians huddled in a hole take shrapnel and two receive a second drop. Guy loses his right leg at the knee. Something something manmade horrors.
It seems likely to me that the Russians will pay a high price for throwing away their soldiers. Some of them will survive, and they will be dangerous to the government. The lessons of WWI seem to have been lost in Russia.
The more Russians die, the less Ukrainians die. Don't feel sorry. They are complicit in a genocide. They all have Telegram, the war is 2 years old. Every Russian soldier can find the truth if they want. A uniform isn't cover for an illegal war. I hope they all die horrible deaths.
On closer inspection of the lead MBT with the mine rollers, @ 0:24 to 0:33 secs into the video, the front left mine roller is clearly missing before it ever reaches the obvious (from aerial perspective) zig-zag mine field that disabled it. This group was doomed before that lead MBT was mobility killed. Jeez.
No battle drills due lack of training, training, training. T-72s do not have main gun stab on and gunners are not scanning as they move thru probable contact. This shows Russian's lack of training and battle drills. No decisive leadership here too.
Ukrainians show their leaders planning process and soldiers' execution is good.
not a single act of returned fire, not even after everyone abandons their vehicles. came right down in column formation all bunched up with no room to manoeuver and no clear arcs. no base of fire in the treeline, no supporting elements.. nothing.
they just lemminged on in, got FUBAR'ed, and hopped out into the copse. what a waste.
I was going nuts watching this - I'm happy to see someone who knows what's up in the comments.
Finally got around to watching All Quiet on the Western Front last night. Nothing seems to have changed. Young people going to die for what? Love your work Ryan.
Ryan. We all know how well you know your material and how steeped you are in proper military parlance and language. But after you said "Mike Mike" for the 10th time I had to click out. That is a fashionable buzzword and has no meaning or significance in the real world. It's showing off. Please don't. We know how much you know and we all really respect you. But "tacticool " doesn't belong in your materials or presentation. It just makes you sound like those guys at the range that we call GunGoober's. Thank you. Deep bow and tip of the hat for your experience and knowledge.
I don't know whey you think "Mike Mike" is a buzz word. It simply means mm as in 30mm rounds. It's a military thing. Been in use longer than even I know. Nothing tacticool about it. If you serve, in any of the branches (though I'm not sure about the Space Force), you learn the phonetic alphabet. It's ingrained in us to use it when communicating initials, abbreviations, etc. to prevent miscommunications. Romeo Mc Bravo has been using that style of communications for the majority of his life. He's listened to it in nearly every aspect of his time in service. He's used it as an NCO training his subordinates, doing AARs, and such. It's the "gungoobers" using military terminology to appear cool. No different from the Meal Team 6 bros in tactical gear. Don't get them mixed up with actual vets, like myself, Ryan, and others, please.
Regardless of how you perceive it, McBeth and people like him will use it, because it's been ingrained over their time in service. In time, he may drop it. Besides, just because you and your associates at the range say, "millimeter," doesn't make you better. "Mike Mike" is quicker to say and less likely to be misunderstood. And, you do realize that you've possibly insulted any veteran who's reading this, right? You just made it clear that you think we sound like children for communicating in the way we were trained to.
While I was in the Marine Corps, we used the phrase 'Mike Mike' all the time. We also barked like dogs, sang songs about killing little birds that landed on our window sills, and called service members of other branches derogatory names like 'Squids'. So, military members do tend to sound like 10-year-olds. However, we don't just try to show off. We succeed at it!
"Mike-mike" is a commonly used term in the US military, so common I suspect he didn't even consider that it sounded like jargon. The fact that you don't know that takes away any credibility you might have had. And accusing him of being "tacti-cool" shows that you have no idea of his actual bona fides and expertise. Simply asking him to clarify would have been better, but you had to make it more than that.
Peter Zeihan is always saying that historically, the Ruskies have always tried to fight the war of attrition - their doctrine is to elongate and extend actions until the other side loses its will to persevere... supposedly the Ruskies have lost 1MM troops, but have about another 5MM left with which to continue the stalemate, as well as huge #s of equipment that they can continue to endure this level of material losses...
Losing 1M of 6M is nearly 20% losses, mostly frontline units and personnel. That is a catastrophic number for an Army, and especially if many of your best soldiers are dead or wounded. The combat effectiveness of those remaining will be significantly less than the original group, and will continue to decline.
Russia is facing a serious demographic issue, too. While many of their basic soldiers are from the provinces and hinterlands (which are growing restive over the losses), their leadership is heavily drawn from the ethnic white Russian Muscovy regions. Replacing those soldiers required mobilizing and conscripting a large fraction of the working age males in those regions. We are now seeing reports of buildings and blocks in Moscow losing heat and water, leaving the tenants shivering in their apartments and homes. The folks who would normally repair those systems aren't there anymore, because they are either fighting or dead in Ukraine. And once the pipes freeze inside those concrete Soviet buildings, ever repairing them becomes nearly impossible. And that is only one example of how the loss of the working tradesmen and technicians is hurting Russia.
Continuing in Ukraine is killing the Russian military, and is slow suicide for Russia as a nation. I don't see any way besides giving up for Russia to survive.
I happened to see a report today that some overnight trains to and from Moscow are operating without heat in the cars. Again, the technicians who would repair equipment like this are absent. Small cracks in the structure showing impending collapse...
they are also getting supplied by north korea and iran. the recent missile strikes in ukraine used north korean ballistic missiles which proved to be more effective than russian missiles.
Not the “Mr Smith goes to Washington” analysis I was looking for, but point taken. Still, “America’s First Sergeant for Congress” yard sign would go great right next to my “get off my damn lawn” sign.
Not condoning what the Russians are doing but as someone who has served and was taught the fundamentals of leadership as a NCO, and as a human, my heart goes out to these poor kids and whatever families they are leaving behind. The Ukrainians are learning the hard lessons gained through experience, where as the Russians, not so much... First vehicle - last vehicle then it becomes meat for the grinder.
I clearly don’t understand the Russian psyche. Would western soldiers accept being sent into these meat waves?
How long until the Russian soldiers decide to turn their guns the other way? Can Ukraine survive until that happens?
the russian psyche is to die for the country like bugs defending a colony even though they are the aggressors. they are drilling this stuff into little kids in school now. there are videos of them all marching and stuff. the soldiers are disposable and there are millions available. they have also geared up their industry . they can now produce 300 tanks per year instead of 20. this is bad. ukraine needs our support .
I doubt the 300 tanks a year figure. Maybe 1/2 that. Any battlefield serial number data to support Russias claim?
Russia is ramping up their defense industry to 70% above what it was in 2023 (6% of their entire GDP). That is ... a LOT. Further, they're allocating an additional $45B USD from their 2023 coffers. They specifically noted those increases will go toward armor and artillery munitions. That said, the most they've ever produced in a single year is 200, so I seriously doubt they'll be able to produce 300 tanks per year considering the sanctions - unless they decide to mass produce T-62s or something that are mostly analog.
I worked with some really excellent Russian engineers. A few described what it was like dealing with endemic corruption. For example a machine is sent out for major maintenance, after 6 months it comes back all shiny and clean. Paperwork describes total overhaul. Machine goes on line, defects only. Turns out machine was given cosmetic service only, the procurement chief had it cleaned and painted at a relatives warehouse who has zero facility or knowledge. Next, material comes in with all certificates. Parts are fabricated which fail test. Alloy is wrong. Etc. The result being that cost and schedule go out to infinity. So you can spend 500 billion but you get maybe 10% value out of it. The more complex the supply chain the worse it is. But I suppose they can buy tanks from China and slip them in.
There is even a word in Russian for it, "Vranyo".
Basically it means, "You know I'm lying, I know I'm lying, but I'm not going to stop and no one is going to do anything about it"
The channel "Perun" has a fantastic video called, "How Corruption Destroys Armies - Theft, Graft, and Russian failure in Ukraine" It's a long video, but very detailed and objective. Highly recommend his channel in general if you've never seen any of his videos.
As a Ukrainian-American I will say it's not just Russia that tends to struggle with this "issue" but Ukraine did as well, but now that it's in a war for it's existence it's largely disappeared as people won't put up with it now. From what I understand it's died down in Russia as well now, but I'm sure it's still there much more as this isn't an existential war for their existence.
they did - Wagner's aborted coup was something to watch unfold.
Korea was pretty insane - so was WW1. I'd say ferocious fighting is not unknown to the west. and the west does also have it's less-than-splendid actions in battle. Kasserine pass and the 106th division in the battle of the bulge come to mind, although it would be unfair to the US to only mention those without mentioning others like Hong Kong and Dieppe.
It is the ruzzian psyche. There are quite a few aspects to it. Maybe Ryan can go into this. Another problem is the ruzzian command structure. They are stuck with a Soviet style of thinking. They are not raised to think the same way as western cultures. I think it could even be a hold over from a serf mentality.
I can’t remember the specific tzar (maybe Peter), but one actually gave the Russian people an opportunity to experience a more western way of living. The people tried it and wanted back under a strong tzarist rule. They actually opted out of independent thinking.
TBH, my in depth study of Russian history goes back to the mid to late 70s. Please jump in and let me know if my knowledge has been corrupted so that I keep my information correct.
TIA
Just sad to see the lack of awareness here and watch the remaining T-72 and IFVs just roll up behind the mobility killed MBT with rollers. I noticed the left front roller was missing. I could see the zig-zag formation of AT mines that it hit. The Russians could not have done a better job of allowing such a good ambush the way they didn't retreat as soon as the lead vehicle prevented further advance.
Why did the rearmost IFV go off the already cleared path? Clearly panic made the last remaining IFV chosoe to pass the just destroyed 2nd MBT by passing through the minefield that just killed that tank. This was incompetence , panic, and a total lack of discipline. I feel sorry for the Russian troops likely drafted and minimally trained to feed the meat grinder. Just sad. More Russians should read Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est"
I'm thinking the same. Little training and just no strong desire to be fighting there.
yeah - clearly very low morale. no one even returned fire once. just a terrible go of it.
The final remaining vehicle would have been better off to dismount and just run for their lives instead of fleeing into a known minefield. It’s sad to think of the panic and inexperience that could lead you to such a decision.
I wonder if the driver was even in a state of mind to obey orders from the vehicle commander? I wonder which vehicle had the group commander in it? I'd wager he died early in the ambush and panic ensued throughout the group.
Will there be an "America's First Sgt. t-shirt?
America’s First Shirt
I used to have sympathy for Russians, but no more. While it’s understandable to relate to the horrific waste of people’s lives, right now Ukraine is fighting for its survival and I celebrate every Russian casualty and every mistake that they make.
They have no right to be there in the first place, and are actively trying to kill Ukrainians. I hope to see more videos of disastrously failed Russian attacks wasting both equipment and troops, but would celebrate seeing them withdraw and go home even more. There is no reason to die in Ukraine. If Russia stayed within its own borders and stopped trying to kill their neighbours we’d all go back to being largely ambivalent towards them. If they also stopped trying to destabilise the world with organised disinformation campaigns then maybe everyone would be better off.
Then you've allowed Russia to win and that is sad to see. Most of these Russian troops are being lied to and/or forced to go to the front, there are videos all over the internet of Russians trying to retreat and being shot by their own colleagues. If you had a choice - prison or fight, and then you get there with zero training, but if you try to retreat you'll be shot, I suspect your outlook would be different.
I don't blame the average Russian soldier, I blame the people forcing them to be there. Remember, your country's troops will be viewed through the same lens at some point, if they haven't already.
Russian troops in Ukraine, forced or not, are trying to kill my extended family. I don’t care why they are there unless it’s a way to get rid of them. Every single one that dies is one more that is no longer a threat. If they surrender then it’s a different scenario, and I note that Ukraine treats prisoners well vs the Russians continued torture of Ukrainians that they capture. Why should I have any sympathy for someone who is attempting to kill my family?
I used to fall more in line with your viewpoint and it's hard to quantify the the psyche of Russians as it becomes more a practice in anecdotes. Having said that I'm a Ukrainian-American with a strong bias (just being transparent before I give my anecdote).
All the Russians I personally knew were ashamed and disgusted by what Russia did/has done. They by in large left Russia ASAP, while I fully realize most Russians aren't afforded this privilege for various reasons, especially at this point most Russians do know what's going on they just won't talk publicly about it. Most Russians aren't dumb, they just pretend to be in public when they think they are at risk. The sad reality and what I've had a hard time accepting is that IMO 30-40% are very much "for" the war with another ~40% being overly apathetic and/or in denial with the last ~20% being against.
While it's true the Russian government censors A LOT and spreads all sorts of misinformation, most younger Russians are fully aware of this as it's gone on well before the war started. I would argue the average Russian's trust in their government is significantly less than even the average conspiracy minded American's trust in ours. The other thing to keep in mind as well, is most Russians know a lot of Ukrainians and vice versa, while a lot of Russians were in denial especially at the start of the war, it's becoming harder and harder for them to be in denial about everything with all the video/picture evidence. IMO it's hard to argue they don't know what's going on, they are just reaching for excuses and will have a long, hard reckoning similar to what I'd imagine Germans did after WWII.
Now do all the Russians at the front line want to be there? No of course not. Are there some I do have pity for, to some extent yes. Personally if I were ever stuck in that position I MUCH rather go to prison/be punished though. Generally speaking the "storm" troopers were primarily the ones being shot at by "friendly" fire for turning around and the majority of them where convicts and generally not just "minor" ones. So when I see Russians getting killed/destroyed now my general empathy towards them has largely vanished as IMO the vast majority at this point know what's going on.
The military term for wrecks is "clue" - love it! That is classic. Nice AAR.
Ring, ring. It’s the CLUE phone. They’re asking for you.
I think another appropriate term here is SNAFU or cluster eff.
Reminded of a Patton Quotes. Again, these are more paraphrased as he did give the same speech multiple times and there were variations.
You know I actually pity those poor Hun bastards. By God, I do. We are not going to just shoot the bastard, we’re going murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel. We’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks.
Patton could very well have been correct in going after the Soviets. He was from a different age. The world was tired of war. Hannibal didn’t proceed to take out Rome after Cannae. Came back to bite him in the ass later, though. His reasoning was pretty sound at the time, though.
Hope we are not destined for the same end.
The Russian HC does not care 1 iota about their troops... They literally are meat for the grinder... This is very old Soviet Doctrine... They call themselves the Russian Federation, but it's just Putin trying to reform the Soviet Union... the only reason they haven't overthrown their Government is because they have been suppressing the news very hard and the ones who know better, know not to speak to the wrong people... Until their military decides to end this, it will keep going... Because they keep the Leaders in power...
Every Eurasian serf who dies creates space for a Slavic Russian in the empire. Every convict who dies reduces the cost of their prison system. We see death as a problem, they do not. Putin and his cohort have merged czarist/crime boss systems into one. Only the boss matters.
Aerobomber posted an immediate follow-up to this action conducted by FPV drones dropping grenades. Four Russians huddled in a hole take shrapnel and two receive a second drop. Guy loses his right leg at the knee. Something something manmade horrors.
Any survivors then it’s a job incomplete.
took the videos down apparently.
Great insight as always, Ryan!
It seems likely to me that the Russians will pay a high price for throwing away their soldiers. Some of them will survive, and they will be dangerous to the government. The lessons of WWI seem to have been lost in Russia.
The more Russians die, the less Ukrainians die. Don't feel sorry. They are complicit in a genocide. They all have Telegram, the war is 2 years old. Every Russian soldier can find the truth if they want. A uniform isn't cover for an illegal war. I hope they all die horrible deaths.
On closer inspection of the lead MBT with the mine rollers, @ 0:24 to 0:33 secs into the video, the front left mine roller is clearly missing before it ever reaches the obvious (from aerial perspective) zig-zag mine field that disabled it. This group was doomed before that lead MBT was mobility killed. Jeez.
Ryan, thanks for this! Not being the military your experience and knowledge in explaining this is greatly appreciated! Thanks Ryan stay safe!
No battle drills due lack of training, training, training. T-72s do not have main gun stab on and gunners are not scanning as they move thru probable contact. This shows Russian's lack of training and battle drills. No decisive leadership here too.
Ukrainians show their leaders planning process and soldiers' execution is good.
not a single act of returned fire, not even after everyone abandons their vehicles. came right down in column formation all bunched up with no room to manoeuver and no clear arcs. no base of fire in the treeline, no supporting elements.. nothing.
they just lemminged on in, got FUBAR'ed, and hopped out into the copse. what a waste.
I was going nuts watching this - I'm happy to see someone who knows what's up in the comments.
We can go get in detail here. Some are battle drills whether you are infantry, Scout like I was (used to be a tanker) or a tanker.
lack of:
1. Bounding overwatch. Someone, a single tank, tank section, platoon or even a company overwatch and returning fire.
2. React to contact.
3. Battle drill. When a mine roller hits a mine. Where is the mineplow?
4. where is the forward observer with a call for immediate suppression. Who is doing supporting fires with mortars, CAS, and artillery.
5. more and more and more and more. This is more of what not to do.
Finally got around to watching All Quiet on the Western Front last night. Nothing seems to have changed. Young people going to die for what? Love your work Ryan.
Ryan. We all know how well you know your material and how steeped you are in proper military parlance and language. But after you said "Mike Mike" for the 10th time I had to click out. That is a fashionable buzzword and has no meaning or significance in the real world. It's showing off. Please don't. We know how much you know and we all really respect you. But "tacticool " doesn't belong in your materials or presentation. It just makes you sound like those guys at the range that we call GunGoober's. Thank you. Deep bow and tip of the hat for your experience and knowledge.
I don't know whey you think "Mike Mike" is a buzz word. It simply means mm as in 30mm rounds. It's a military thing. Been in use longer than even I know. Nothing tacticool about it. If you serve, in any of the branches (though I'm not sure about the Space Force), you learn the phonetic alphabet. It's ingrained in us to use it when communicating initials, abbreviations, etc. to prevent miscommunications. Romeo Mc Bravo has been using that style of communications for the majority of his life. He's listened to it in nearly every aspect of his time in service. He's used it as an NCO training his subordinates, doing AARs, and such. It's the "gungoobers" using military terminology to appear cool. No different from the Meal Team 6 bros in tactical gear. Don't get them mixed up with actual vets, like myself, Ryan, and others, please.
I know. We say millimeter. We do not say Mike Mike. Sounds like a 10-year-old trying to show off
Regardless of how you perceive it, McBeth and people like him will use it, because it's been ingrained over their time in service. In time, he may drop it. Besides, just because you and your associates at the range say, "millimeter," doesn't make you better. "Mike Mike" is quicker to say and less likely to be misunderstood. And, you do realize that you've possibly insulted any veteran who's reading this, right? You just made it clear that you think we sound like children for communicating in the way we were trained to.
While I was in the Marine Corps, we used the phrase 'Mike Mike' all the time. We also barked like dogs, sang songs about killing little birds that landed on our window sills, and called service members of other branches derogatory names like 'Squids'. So, military members do tend to sound like 10-year-olds. However, we don't just try to show off. We succeed at it!
i'll throw my hat in the ring for the ''30mil'' camp.
"Mike-mike" is a commonly used term in the US military, so common I suspect he didn't even consider that it sounded like jargon. The fact that you don't know that takes away any credibility you might have had. And accusing him of being "tacti-cool" shows that you have no idea of his actual bona fides and expertise. Simply asking him to clarify would have been better, but you had to make it more than that.
Peter Zeihan is always saying that historically, the Ruskies have always tried to fight the war of attrition - their doctrine is to elongate and extend actions until the other side loses its will to persevere... supposedly the Ruskies have lost 1MM troops, but have about another 5MM left with which to continue the stalemate, as well as huge #s of equipment that they can continue to endure this level of material losses...
Losing 1M of 6M is nearly 20% losses, mostly frontline units and personnel. That is a catastrophic number for an Army, and especially if many of your best soldiers are dead or wounded. The combat effectiveness of those remaining will be significantly less than the original group, and will continue to decline.
Russia is facing a serious demographic issue, too. While many of their basic soldiers are from the provinces and hinterlands (which are growing restive over the losses), their leadership is heavily drawn from the ethnic white Russian Muscovy regions. Replacing those soldiers required mobilizing and conscripting a large fraction of the working age males in those regions. We are now seeing reports of buildings and blocks in Moscow losing heat and water, leaving the tenants shivering in their apartments and homes. The folks who would normally repair those systems aren't there anymore, because they are either fighting or dead in Ukraine. And once the pipes freeze inside those concrete Soviet buildings, ever repairing them becomes nearly impossible. And that is only one example of how the loss of the working tradesmen and technicians is hurting Russia.
Continuing in Ukraine is killing the Russian military, and is slow suicide for Russia as a nation. I don't see any way besides giving up for Russia to survive.
Bingo. Missing blue collar is what will jump out to the average Russian. Unreliable utilities.
I happened to see a report today that some overnight trains to and from Moscow are operating without heat in the cars. Again, the technicians who would repair equipment like this are absent. Small cracks in the structure showing impending collapse...
they are also getting supplied by north korea and iran. the recent missile strikes in ukraine used north korean ballistic missiles which proved to be more effective than russian missiles.
Not the “Mr Smith goes to Washington” analysis I was looking for, but point taken. Still, “America’s First Sergeant for Congress” yard sign would go great right next to my “get off my damn lawn” sign.