Thread. Two points I want to make from this article: 1) The Russian invasion force's struggles in Ukraine do not show a fundamental change in warfare 2) I think this shows that people are jumping to the wrong conclusions about this war and the Russian military's weaknesses
One of the main reasons why Russian tank units struggled in Ukraine is that they lacked sufficient infantry to support them, particularly in urban areas. This doesn't show that tanks are necessarily more vulnerable, it is a well-known requirement for the success of tank units. 2/
Infantry is the fundamental and oldest component of armies. This war shows that infantry is still just as critical (people have said that infantry is obsolete as well), and that Russia needs more light infantry. Imo, this war discredited the VDV's overly mechanized structure. 3/
Thread: I completely disagree with this article's conclusions, and I think it stems from a misinterpretation of the data. Tanks, fighters, and ships are not "being pushed into obsolescence" and we are mostly seeing incremental changes in warfare. theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
If you are going to make a bold claim like "we are seeing the very nature of combat change" you need extraordinary evidence, which this article lacks. Instead, the successes and failures of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries can be explained by well-known principles of war. 2/
In Ukraine most casualties are coming from unguided artillery, Soviet-era air defenses are countering modernized Soviet-era aircraft, infantry are fighting infantry in trenches with rifles and grenades, tanks are being destroyed by AT mines, and most equipment is decades old. 3/
Video of the fighting in Novotoshkivske, Luhansk Oblast from late April. The video shows LNR tanks and BMPs firing on the town. The video appears to show a Russian artillery strike at the beginning. t.me/Z4LPR/22
The first half of the video shows Ukrainian troops as the LNR armor arrives. 2/
Video showing an LNR BMP company and tank platoon approaching Novotoshkivske from April 22. 3/