1/ Russia's soldiers face many serious challenges to their morale and psychological condition, according to a Russian commentary. They face a lack of supplies, food, and equipment, poor training, denied leave, "continuing slavery and bondage" and the temptation of desertion. ⬇️ 
2/ Svyatoslav Golikov, the author of the 'Philologist in Ambush' Telegram channel, has written a lengthy overview of the issues behind the poor morale and motivation of many Russian soldiers. He imagines it from the perspective of an army unit's political officer.
3/ Golikov highlights six key issues:
1️⃣ A lack of "decent material and technical support, which concerns absolutely all items." These include essentials such as food, clothing and protective equipment, as well as vehicles, electronic warfare systems, fuel and drone detectors.
1️⃣ A lack of "decent material and technical support, which concerns absolutely all items." These include essentials such as food, clothing and protective equipment, as well as vehicles, electronic warfare systems, fuel and drone detectors.
4/ Golikov comments: "As long as all of the above is either supplied by humanitarians and volunteers (while recently there has been a catastrophic decline in the volume of collections), or purchased with the personal funds of military personnel (here, on the contrary, there is…
5/ …a huge increase in the volume of expenses, and therefore the volume of "extortions", for which comrade commanders can summon a criminal charge out of thin air), it will not work to screw "patriotism" into the soldier's ears about the strongest army [in the world]..."
6/ "As long as a soldier is forced to spend half of his salary on potatoes, onions and carrots, milk and meat, drones and incubators, bulletproof vests and normal uniforms, guns and cartridges, generators and gasoline for it, Starlinks, normal radio transmitters and repeaters,…
7/ …he will not perceive the "patriotism" aggressively imposed on him, built on lies, hypocrisy, window dressing and show. Because a soldier is far from an idiot and sees everything."
8/ 2️⃣ "Directly real, relevant, daily combat training of both the officers themselves and their subordinate personnel." As Golikov rightly notes, there are systemic problems with soldiers being sent to the front line with only cursory training, despite official claims otherwise.
9/ "What we see on the Internet and TV is most often a profanation and show that has nothing in common with real combat training. At the unit level, combat training is absent in principle."
10/ 3️⃣ "The problems of mass drunkenness and drug addiction continue to exist among the troops ... The drug problem is currently epidemic throughout the line of contact. This applies to both plant forms and chemicals (salt, meth and amphetamines)."
11/ Golikov comments that the prevalence of the problem is not the same everywhere, as it depends on how robustly commanders deal with it. "If a specific unit has interested people, then there will be prohibition and a fight against drugs at all levels."
12/ "But if the officers don't give a damn, or they are afraid to interfere, or they have taken the lead in these processes and set the tone and pace, then it's all over."
13/ 4️⃣ "Regular rotations and vacations." Golikov notes that vacations are often more notional than real. Because so many soldiers desert while on leave in Russia, they are often forced to take their leave within occupied areas of Ukraine rather than being allowed to go home.
14/ Ironically, considering that the Donetsk and Luhansk have been annexed to Russia, the border is still strictly enforced. Golikov comments that soldiers are allowed "only once every six months for two weeks", which doesn't allow enough time to resolve family issues.
15/ Units also rotate out only a few kilometres behind the line of contact, giving them little opportunity for down time and potentially leaving them in range of artillery and drone attacks.
16/ Golikov recommends that they should go to the rear, "change the scenery, take a break from artillery and drones, holes and basements, go out into the city to go to the shops, eat shashlik and fruit, and finally look at women." Leave should also be for longer and more often.
17/ 5️⃣ "Continuing slavery and bondage in terms of renewal-auto-extension of current contracts, uncertainty with expired contracts, lack of replacement of previously mobilised servicemen." Russian soldiers currently serve under indefinite contracts, which is very unpopular.
18/ 6️⃣ The ongoing problem of desertion on a massive scale. Golikov says that over 60,000 men have been listed as deserters since February 2022, with more than 10,000 of them deserting for a year or more. He rightly says this is a systemic issue.
19/ He notes: "If a serviceman sees that he can run away, not return from leave, desert for health reasons, pay off, and practically nothing will happen to him for this, or will someday but it is far from certain, then the serviceman will run away, not return or desert."
20/ Golikov complains that the Russian government has done little to resolve this, despite changes in the Ministry of Defence's leadership. He denounces a list of issues which it has failed to tackle.
21/ "To all of the above we add the lack of full support for the rear, astronomical amounts of funds burned on parades, exhibitions, forums and other brutal bullshit that has no place in the life of a country at war, the growing problem of migrants..."
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