To paraphrase the famous saying, “Russians saddle slow but ride fast”, so it’s possible that everything might soon accelerate as a result of Russia finally adopting these tactics.
"The most likely explanation is that its armed forces didn’t have viable feedback loops until recently. Inaccurate portrayals of the front-line situation might also have mudded the command’s perceptions."
Could be, quite possibly and probably most likely.
I can't help feeling, however, more than anything else, the 'slow to saddle up' thing has been the result of the same idea that started this whole business in the first place: it's so obvious how it's going to end, there's no point hurting civilians just to prove it — an extension of the idea from late '21/early '22, that rolling a few tanks up to Kiev should be enough. It SHOULD be (have been) enough.
Well, certainly no-one now could accuse the Russians of not being patient (like adults).
It's said that war is hell, and for many reasons it's hell. One being the utter novelty of a modern battlefield, another being the many restrictions placed on the military to stop full scale war.
Yes, Russia has made and will make many mistakes, this is one of the west's aims, but the end always justifies the means.
“Sharing unsolicited advice is considered deeply offensive because it’s seen as questioning a superior’s judgement and is therefore almost always discarded. Constructive critiques are far and few between, which creates an echo chamber that contributes to groupthink…”
German culture looks *sometimes* harsh and unpolite to foreigners bc they tend to openly express critique of the problems (real or imagined) they perceive.
OTOH, Gringos (especially West Coasters) are the opposite, avoiding direct confrontation, especially in business environments and especially-er when interacting with superiors, even at the expense not directly addressing the issue and letting it fester.
That from my personal experience…
I find it quite amusing that in this regard the Russian character is closer to the USian than to the Germanic…
Who are you, Marace? I've been living in Russia since August 2013 and have been through all levels of society here, from diplomats to think tanks to media all the way down to average Russians in the various neighborhoods in which I've lived.
I'm genuinely interested in the bio of my trolls who doubt my assessments and imply that they know better. Don't just tell us why you know better, but share some proof so we know you're not lying. I'm bored so amuse me.
Just wanted to bring up the fact that the new MoD seems to do all the right things and hopefully will end the tendency of groupthink and ineffective leadership.
Especially if it’s combined with pressure from the bottom. Lower level officers and NCOs who have been bloodied in the SVO and learned invaluable experience.
We've seen these "new Russian/Ukrainian tactics lead to unprecedented success!" articles in the past from time to time. Along with articles decaying Russian/Ukrainian shortages of men/shells/missiles/cat food/burrito coverings/ad nauseam.
For so critical an article I find the misuse of English amusing: the article says 'Constructive critiques are far and few between," What on earth does 'few between' mean? The correct phrase is 'few and far between'. 'Few' makes a reference to numbers so the locational adverb 'between' is not appropriate. 'Far' on the other hand is locational. The correct order of 'few and far' is required for sense to be made of the phrase.
You don't have to mock me for a minor error, Marace. I've been publishing original analyses daily since the SMO began, so that's over 940 consecutive days. Show me what you've done that's comparable to supporting the cause. Next time be more polite when drawing my attention to an error. You'll be blocked if you disrespect me again.
Interesting, Andrew. I can only hope that Russia will not "ride fast." This terrible war can be ended very quickly given the state of Ukraine's infrastructure, the massive losses of the Ukrops everywhere, the shrieking accusations of their top people about the failure of their "patrons" to send them what they need, and the lack of replacements. The handwriting is on the wall. If Russia indeed will ride fast now, it will be over in no time.
"The most likely explanation is that its armed forces didn’t have viable feedback loops until recently. Inaccurate portrayals of the front-line situation might also have mudded the command’s perceptions."
Could be, quite possibly and probably most likely.
I can't help feeling, however, more than anything else, the 'slow to saddle up' thing has been the result of the same idea that started this whole business in the first place: it's so obvious how it's going to end, there's no point hurting civilians just to prove it — an extension of the idea from late '21/early '22, that rolling a few tanks up to Kiev should be enough. It SHOULD be (have been) enough.
Well, certainly no-one now could accuse the Russians of not being patient (like adults).
It's said that war is hell, and for many reasons it's hell. One being the utter novelty of a modern battlefield, another being the many restrictions placed on the military to stop full scale war.
Yes, Russia has made and will make many mistakes, this is one of the west's aims, but the end always justifies the means.
“Sharing unsolicited advice is considered deeply offensive because it’s seen as questioning a superior’s judgement and is therefore almost always discarded. Constructive critiques are far and few between, which creates an echo chamber that contributes to groupthink…”
German culture looks *sometimes* harsh and unpolite to foreigners bc they tend to openly express critique of the problems (real or imagined) they perceive.
OTOH, Gringos (especially West Coasters) are the opposite, avoiding direct confrontation, especially in business environments and especially-er when interacting with superiors, even at the expense not directly addressing the issue and letting it fester.
That from my personal experience…
I find it quite amusing that in this regard the Russian character is closer to the USian than to the Germanic…
“especially-er”. Love it!
If that is a correct assessment of the Russian character.
Who are you, Marace? I've been living in Russia since August 2013 and have been through all levels of society here, from diplomats to think tanks to media all the way down to average Russians in the various neighborhoods in which I've lived.
I'm genuinely interested in the bio of my trolls who doubt my assessments and imply that they know better. Don't just tell us why you know better, but share some proof so we know you're not lying. I'm bored so amuse me.
Just wanted to bring up the fact that the new MoD seems to do all the right things and hopefully will end the tendency of groupthink and ineffective leadership.
Especially if it’s combined with pressure from the bottom. Lower level officers and NCOs who have been bloodied in the SVO and learned invaluable experience.
One can hope!
We've seen these "new Russian/Ukrainian tactics lead to unprecedented success!" articles in the past from time to time. Along with articles decaying Russian/Ukrainian shortages of men/shells/missiles/cat food/burrito coverings/ad nauseam.
Let's wait and see.
For so critical an article I find the misuse of English amusing: the article says 'Constructive critiques are far and few between," What on earth does 'few between' mean? The correct phrase is 'few and far between'. 'Few' makes a reference to numbers so the locational adverb 'between' is not appropriate. 'Far' on the other hand is locational. The correct order of 'few and far' is required for sense to be made of the phrase.
You don't have to mock me for a minor error, Marace. I've been publishing original analyses daily since the SMO began, so that's over 940 consecutive days. Show me what you've done that's comparable to supporting the cause. Next time be more polite when drawing my attention to an error. You'll be blocked if you disrespect me again.
Completely unnecessary comment
Interesting, Andrew. I can only hope that Russia will not "ride fast." This terrible war can be ended very quickly given the state of Ukraine's infrastructure, the massive losses of the Ukrops everywhere, the shrieking accusations of their top people about the failure of their "patrons" to send them what they need, and the lack of replacements. The handwriting is on the wall. If Russia indeed will ride fast now, it will be over in no time.
It can only be ended when the Ukrainian/US side decides that negotiations are possible.
Ukraine has no more agency than a glove puppet.