The Fatal Tactical Mistakes of Putin’s Army

The Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine last February was one thing above all: an attempted demonstration of power by Russia. The Russian propaganda, which was widely publicized, featured hundreds of military cars, tanks and rocket launchers crossing the border. The external effect was clear: Russia is superior to Ukraine and the conquest of the country is a matter of days.

The days have turned into months – and the Russian military has run into trouble in many areas. Ukraine has recaptured thousands of square kilometers in recent weeks and Russia has even surrendered some of the territories without a fight.

Long traffic jams are an easy target

The army of Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin (70) is now desperately trying to cut off Ukraine’s electricity and heat supplies shortly before the start of winter. For this she shoots bombs on the big cities. It was not until Monday morning that the capital Kiev came under fire again.

Tactics determine the heavy setbacks of the Russian army. Russia relied on attacking major cities and densely populated areas from the outset, writes Forbes military columnist Volodymyr Dacenko on Twitter. Main traffic arteries were mainly used to move the military equipment needed for this – a serious mistake.

Because a large number of vehicles were moved at the same time, the traffic jams stretched for miles. These were easy targets for the Ukrainian Air Force. After that, the Russian army changed its tactics and shelled the major cities in Ukraine. But actually the Russians stuck to their plans: conquer the cities via the main traffic routes.

However, according to Dacenko, this strategy has a number of drawbacks: on the one hand, the losses are high and the troops on the transport routes are very vulnerable. In addition, Russian troops depend on well-functioning logistics and fast supplies – which has not been the case in recent weeks. Due to the focus on the cities, the advance is also significantly slower than if the army were to concentrate on entire areas.

Ukrainians communicate better

The Ukrainians, on the other hand, had the great advantage of knowing the hard-fought terrain very well from the start. That’s why they rely on small, mobile units that can also move in forests and fields, Dacenko said in his analysis. Therefore, it was and is possible for the Ukrainians to cut off supplies and surround the Russian troops.

In addition, the Ukrainians are said to have very fine-grained communication. This helps to always locate the enemy troops and at the same time know the exact location of your own units. This allows the Russian positions to be attacked from multiple positions simultaneously. Russia, on the other hand, has problems with communication, according to the expert. This led, among other things, to the Russian troops shooting at each other.

Commanders often don’t know

Due to the poor position, there are also enormous problems for the commanders of the Russian army. The expert’s conclusion is clear: “The military leadership often does not understand the situation, receives information with significant delays and therefore makes many wrong decisions. The Russian army often retreats when it has to go into battle. Conversely, if they were to withdraw, they will continue the fight, leading to high military casualties during the retreat.”

For example, the Ukrainians do not have armored vehicles, which is a problem in the offensive. Yet the army is much better organized and, unlike the Russians, has precise information, Dacenko said. “The Russian army is clumsy. A lack of coordination, reconnaissance and training of the soldiers only makes the situation worse.”