Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ Russia continues to expend many specialist troops in assaults, such as drone operators, sappers, machine gunners and mortar operators. A Russian milblogger says this causes even higher losses because the loss of specialists means less fire support. ⬇️

2/ The 'Philologist in ambush' Telegram channel passes on a report from a Russian brigade fighting in the Pokrovsk area in the Donetsk region:

"Gunners from the 12.7 mm [machine gun] and AGS [automatic grenade launcher] crews were sent to storm with assault rifles."

3/ "Everyone was hit: some were 200 [killed], some 300 [injured]. Now we have [the weapons], but no crews for them. Only the fire support platoon commander from the entire platoon remained. When new machine gunners are brought to him, he will begin training them."

4/ The 'Philologist' characterises this as "a small but characteristic illustration of the systemic problem of non-core use and sadly senseless waste of specialists (i.e. specialists in the broad sense – alas, not only UAV operators)."

5/ "Is the situation changing as a whole? No, it is not. Such cases continue to be common practice, the systemic problem remains. Moreover, such cases directly highlight the general problem of excessive losses in the infantry.

6/ "In addition to the conceptual problem of the catastrophic inability of the state to manage intellectual and human capital with minimal efficiency, I see the following roots of the problem of excess losses.

7/ "Insufficiently effective organization of offensive actions, including planning and comprehensive support, due to the insufficient competencies of a significant number of command personnel and insufficient military-technical equipment, in principle, …

8/ …leads to the fact that the infantry continues to suffer excess losses, which the command tries to compensate for at the moment with all available resources according to the principle of 'everyone who can hold a weapon [can fight]'.

9/ "The excess of infantry losses is also to a large extent a consequence of the insufficient level of comprehensive combat training of infantry unit personnel, starting with individual (including first aid, the basics of engineering and sapper work, etc.) and group training…

10/ …and ending with combat coordination of units and practicing interaction with air reconnaissance and fire support, due to inadequately compressed training periods."

11/ "The inappropriate use of specialists who do not have the appropriate assault training only multiplies excess losses.

In addition, such a waste of specialists (UAV operators, sappers, machine gunners, mortarmen, snipers, etc.) in assault operations…

13/ …has the most negative impact on the organization of reconnaissance, engineering and fire support for offensive operations, which in turn again leads to excessive infantry losses.

14/ "This situation is aggravated by the actual absence of a strict directive on the performance of combat missions with the maximum possible savings of personnel and the responsibility of commanders for excessive losses (despite official declarations).

15/ On the contrary, in the army in the third year of the current campaign, a completely different directive continues to dominate – if you don't have 200s [fatalities], it means you're fighting poorly (and don't expect any rewards or promotions), …

16/ …which is only reinforced by both the general approach along the lines of 'these [men] will run out, new ones will be sent', and the unhindered waste of specialists.

17/ "Moreover, subordinate commanders are regularly pushed to neglect the survivability of personnel by their superior army command, which demands that they attack literally until the resources are completely exhausted, including not only specialists, …

18/ … but also wounded and sick people who are at least somehow able to move.

Plus, the excess of losses also stems from the practice of submitting false reports.

19/ "On the one hand, the discrepancy between the formal combat and numerical composition and the actual availability of combat-ready units leads to the higher command setting combat missions that do not correspond to the real capabilities of the units.

20/ "On the other hand, premature reports of the occupation of certain positions or settlements lead to feverish attempts to take them or recapture them (if the consolidation fails) without proper preparation and support."

21/ The 'Philologist's' comments are consistent with many previous reports on the way Russia is approaching the war in Ukraine, which I've covered in a number of previous threads.

🔺 On the use of specialists as assault troops:

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1838843568087093505

22/ 🔺 On the use of badly injured soldiers as frontline or assault troops:

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1833148086442434577

23/ 🔺 On the rewarding of commanders who get huge numbers of their own men killed:

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1830873716047147329

24/ 🔺 On the culture of false reporting that has caused many Russian military failures:

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1570169288849326082

Source:
t.me/philologist_zo…