The Moscow Defense Ministry said Ukraine had launched the attack with up to 300 soldiers, 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles – Copyright Governor of the Kursk Region/AFP –
Russia responded with a flood of press releases and otherwise hardly noteworthy the Ukrainian invasion of KurskThe Russians were totally unprepared, and it shows.
That’s not the problem. It’s just one of many big problems. That was a really great move by Ukraine that effectively opened the floodgates.
Russia has now realised that its entire front with Ukraine can be breached at any point, at any time. It is a huge area. The abysmally talentless meat grinder and trench warfare tactics they have used elsewhere will have no effect on this type of attack.
Then there is the question of tactical and strategic goals. No one, not even the hopelessly arrogant military experts on the Internet, has any idea what Ukraine’s strategic goals are.
Just as well. These military cliché-filled chatterboxes need to know when silence is the only option. Shut up and learn, you bunglers.
All of this was accomplished with a single attack and a subsequent secondary attack in the same area. What would hundreds of attacks achieve? Can Russia respond to each attack with even more pathetic recruit band-aids? They don’t have much choice.
The Russian troops that faced the first attack received no support whatsoever. According to an interview with an obviously malnourished and tired-looking Russian noncommissioned officer, they had no choice but to surrender. His local garrison unit was surrounded and could not escape.
In chess, this is called a “forced move.” It is a move in response to the opponent’s move, with the opponent in control. Another term is “exposed check,” which is a move necessary to defend a critical piece or point. An open check can often compromise other elements of the defense as well.
The GAZPROM supplies gas to Europe coincidentally in the same area, in a town called Sudzha. GAZPROM says supplies are still flowing, but you know what I mean.
The Kursk region is a critical point. It is a major logistics hub and the largest city in the region. The Ukrainians marched straight up the main road without significant resistance.
Russia’s vast east-west infrastructure is so large that it is practically indefensible in this context. This is not a good picture. The big drunken bear turns into a carpet and cannot even defend its own territory.
At some point in the future, there will be talk of a model attack with modern, current-generation forces. It may or may not be an impossible situation for the Russians, but that is exactly what it is.
The Ukrainians are also using an “economy of force”. They are not risking huge amounts of resources to achieve this utter chaos. They are not overwhelmed and are within reach of friendly areas and effective support.
The Russians, on the other hand, have to drop everything and try to close the ever-growing gaps in their defense. The Ukrainians have freedom of action and plenty of time to strike wherever they want.
The long-term prospects for Russia are not nearly as rosy. The Russian military has been deeply humiliated, resulting in enormous loss of life. Any other professional military command would resign in protest or sheer anger. The only thing that happens is that their soldiers are dying for absolutely nothing.
The overall situation is appalling. One has to ask oneself whether Russia seriously believes that it can fight NATO or even Poland alone in this state. Troops are being withdrawn from Kamchatka, complete with S300 bombers and all the equipment, to fill the gaps left by the war in Ukraine.
Strategically, the old communist strategy of “fighting for years until the other side gives up” cannot work. It didn’t work in Afghanistan either. You can only lose a war in a limited number of cases before it’s over.
If Russia is the 21stst Century, it is certainly welcome. Let us leave the 20th centuryth Century and its misery where they belong. It is time to leave this madness behind.
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Digital Journal or its members.
