Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ Russian combat medics are haphazardly trained, are not issued supplies, and are sent to die on assault missions, according to a Russian medical Telegram channel. Some commanders are said to be 'hiding' medics in UAV units to ensure they do not get used as stormtroopers. ⬇️

2/ The 'Doctors, you are not alone' channel complains about the current state of combat medicine in the Russian army and advocates that the American 68W combat medic system should be adopted – though with Russian soldiers receiving 1950s first aid kits, this might be ambitious.

3/ The channel, which organises supplies for medics, discusses the role of 'freelance' or 'tactical' medics who supplement regular paramedics. They are supposed to give immediate first aid to frontline casualties before evacuating them to field hospitals in rear areas.

4/ "Usually, units try to have one "medic" per platoon, or at most per company. And they study in different ways: private tactical medicine courses in different schools, a two-week course for a tactical medicine instructor at the Military Medical Academy, …

5/ … volunteer courses in the Special Military Operation zone, telegram channels like Khiler, UTsTM, Kobra-tactical and others... without a single system and requirements. In fact, these guys bear the brunt of providing assistance at the front lines."

6/ "In many cases, our medical backpacks end up not with regular paramedics or medical instructors, but with these freelance medics.

7/ "What are they ENTITLED to from [military] supplies? They are not entitled to anything! According to the Ministry of Defence website, the First Aid Bag is issued to ENTITLED medical instructors, medical orderlies-riflemen...

8/ These same medics can be listed as riflemen, drivers... or anyone. They are also sent on assaults and die like regular riflemen. It is critically important to protect medics – they then save others.

9/ Smart management sometimes 'hides' their medics in UAV units to save them. And stupid [management] ... you know a lot about that without our help.

10/ And there are not enough full-time medics in principle (in the staffing table they are allocated a few lines, but in reality there is a shortage of personnel). Plus, they are often not at their stag[ing area], but are sent to the rear."

11/ The channel praises how the US Army's 68W Combat Medic system works. 68Ws "are trained for 16 weeks, 6,500 NEW ones per year. And each one goes through annual two-week training camps, various recertifications once every 2 and 3 years, and in good units they train constantly."

12/ It calls for the US system to be adopted in the Russian army, with the "urgent mass training of full-time medical instructors for 3.5-4 months and their appointment in each PLATOON", rather than one medic for an entire company.

13/ "In this case, each group will have its own medic, the fighters will not be left on their own, without help. The mortality rate on the battlefield will be sharply reduced (at the same time, it will become reliably known to the relevant authorities)."

14/ Russian medical sources have previously commented that it's likely that tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have died simply for lack of battlefield medicine. Some units have reportedly been ordered to evacuate only lightly wounded men.

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1658813918649647110

15/ 'Doctors, you are not alone' says that the Russian system is so poorly organised that even if a qualified medic is serving with a unit but is not on the staff list, "he is not entitled to the standard equipment in the form of a medical backpack."

16/ "When we asked officials what to do in such cases, when there is a actual medic, but there is no line on the staff list (leading to the fact that it would be good to issue backpacks with the appropriate contents to people with a diploma, ignoring the staff list), …

17/ …we were simply told: "And if he says that he is a tanker, then what, should we issue him a tank?" /end

Source:
t.me/vrachivyneodni…