“NATO methods don’t work in Ukraine”

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«Rybar» is a Russian pro-war channel on Telegram with 1.1 million subscribers. The channel, which is widely quoted in Russia, was founded by 31-year-old professional officer Mikhail Zvinchuk, who previously worked in the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. “Rybar” has now published an analysis by Zvinchuk, according to which NATO is mispreparing Ukraine’s armed forces for war.

The war in Ukraine is reminiscent of trench warfare in World War I, Brussels reported last week. The Russian reservists even have to fight with shovels and in Bakhmut the Ukraine is sending more and more soldiers to the front as cannon fodder.

But the most recent war experience, on which NATO states can rely, has been in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. In Iraq and Afghanistan, about 7,000 US soldiers died as a result of hostile action, mostly ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). But there was no front-line fighting like there is now in Ukraine. The US and NATO forces have not gained knowledge that can now be applied in Ukraine, Rybar writes.

‘These methods don’t work in Ukraine’

“Western countries have not participated in high-intensity conflicts since the Vietnam War and in some cases since World War II,” Zvinchuk said. «Instructors of different specialties participated only in local operations. The result is logical: people are trained in the patterns of the wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.”

In Ukraine, a completely different war is raging: “In the reality of the conflict in Ukraine, these methods do not work, since infantry is trained mainly to fight in residential areas and take houses, and not for actions in forests and fields.”

In addition, the armed forces of Ukraine could not be adequately trained in anti-aircraft guns, Panzerfaust 3 and other heavy weapons. “There is not enough equipment, weapons and material resources for effective training of Ukrainian formations in the West.” There is practice on “simulators” that “imitate a shot”. It’s more like a video game. “There can be no question of real ammunition.”

Respect for foreign mercenaries

In the past, a training program lasted five to seven weeks. Now it has been reduced to three weeks to train more soldiers. “Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about the high level of professionalism of Ukrainian fighters,” said the Rybar analysis. “You will not be able to turn the tide of the conflict, because the theoretical knowledge is vastly different from the harsh reality at the front.”

Zvinchuk continues his personal opinion, “that even a poorly trained soldier is better than an untrained one. Therefore, the efforts of the West are by no means in vain and clearly prolong the conflict.” But in direct contact with the enemy at the front, they would “make no great difference”. the enemy is just an enemy. A man of skin and bones.”

It is different with foreign mercenaries. “Your appearance on the front line is sometimes immediately noticeable.” They wouldn’t have trained for a few weeks either.

Source: Blick