1/ The Russian army has adopted infiltration tactics to slip past Ukrainian defences, dividing platoons into a handful of men who advance as far as they can, entrench, and await reinforcements. A Russian warblogger comments on this tactic's limitations. ⬇️
2/ This change of approach since 2024 has enabled Russia to advance slowly, though still generating heavy losses along the way. 'Archangel Spetsnaz' writes:
"Indeed, assault tactics have changed dramatically."
3/ "The wide range of detection and engagement systems and means has, figuratively speaking, "brought to its knees the old tactics," whereby company/battalion-sized offensives were carried out at the frontier.
4/ "Infiltration" tactics are currently proving more effective with fewer personnel losses, but at the same time, they are not without a number of problems that must be considered when planning a combat operation.
5/ "▪️When sending three or four stormtroopers, it is necessary to understand:
▪️Such a group becomes ineffective when 300s (wounded) appear, since the removal of one wounded, as a rule, requires at least four people for the variable evacuation of the wounded and his equipment.
6/ "▪️Evacuation for small groups is unlikely to be organized. It's difficult to imagine a situation where an evacuation team would advance into an area under enemy fire to evacuate one or two wounded. Losses in this case could be even greater.
7/ "▪️Supplies of ammunition, food, water, and other necessary equipment for completing the mission are very limited. It's important to remember that the last group dispatched must reach the troop deployment point before the first group runs out of food and water.
8/ "Otherwise, the assault group suffers non-combat losses, reducing the unit's overall combat readiness.
9/ "▪️Armoured support is also limited at the start of an assault. Classic tactics recommend a simultaneous infantry and vehicle attack, after first engaging enemy firing positions with artillery and precision weapons.
10/ "Now, however, stormtroopers are forced to mass and launch attacks in conjunction with strikes on enemy firing positions, while the armoured group's maneuverability is severely limited, as it becomes a priority target for enemy drones.
11/ "▪️Mission completion deadlines are stretched out because it's simply impossible to accurately predict the outcome due to numerous factors.
12/ "Setting unrealistic goals immediately without taking the situation into account can have serious consequences for the next step of the operation.
13/ "Ultimately, it's equally difficult, both mentally and physically, to complete a mission while outnumbered on the battlefield, which also impacts the outcome of the battle." /end
1/ Russian warbloggers are outraged at the Russian government's view that blocking Telegram is no big deal for frontline troops. They say it's a catastrophe heaped on the disaster of losing Starlink and that anyone who says Telegram isn't needed is talking "complete bullshit". ⬇️
2/ Dmitri Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, says: "I don't think it's possible to imagine frontline communications being provided via Telegram or some other messenger. It's difficult and impossible to imagine such a thing."
3/ However, it is very much a thing, as warbloggers have been pointing out furiously. 'Callsign Bruce' provides an example of how it is used to avoid friendly fire incidents:
"I'll give you a real-life example from one of the directions."
1/ Life after Starlink is proving to be difficult and frustrating for the Russian army. Russian warbloggers appear to be going through the stages of grief, expressing anger and alarm at the crisis and concern that Ukraine will exploit it. One anticipates "24/7 fucking". ⬇️
2/ Further instances of price-gouging are being reported, with the cost of US-made Ubiquiti WiFi bridges – illegally imported into Russia – doubling overnight. 'Strong Word' complains:
3/ "Elon is certainly a real jerk. But we have some real assholes in the rear who decided to ride the wave and make money off their own soldiers. Wi-Fi bridges instantly doubled in price. It's maddening, some are spilling blood, and others are making a living off of it."
1/ What can Russian soldiers do with thousands of useless Starlink terminals? One Russian warblogger has some humorous suggestions. ⬇️
2/ 'BKGB Casuar' writes:
"Here are 10 ways to use a broken terminal in the Special Military Operation zone:
3/ "1. Butt Kick.
The ground in the trench is cold and damp, and Elon Musk's plastic is warm and high-tech. Use it as an elite seat. Now you're not just a soldier in the mud, but a cyberpunk on a throne, whose butt is protected from moisture by American technology.
1/ Russian political officers are reportedly using the Epstein files to justify the 'Special Military Operation' (SVO) as a "war against global evil". However, as a frontline Russian warblogger points out, Russia and its soldiers are hardly innocent of crimes against children. ⬇️
2/ 'Vault No. 8', a serving soldier in the Russian army, writes:
"Over dinner, we were shown a report on the Epstein files: Satanism, cannibalism, paedophilia, child trafficking to EU countries in Ukraine, etc. The conclusion: "The SVO is the fight against global evil."
3/ "At the same time, during the SVO:
— I listened to the stories of several female specialists in men's health. One was raped by her grandfather, then later by her first husband. The second had a stepfather who was violent and raped her mother.
1/ As many as 4% of the able-bodied men in one village in the Russian Far East may have died in Ukraine. The figure illustrates how the human cost of the war is being borne disproportionately by impoverished communities deep in the Russian interior.
2/ The village of Tigil is the principal settlement of a lightly populated region the size of West Virginia or Latvia. About 1,600 people live in the village. Ethnic Russians only make up about 36% of the population, with various indigenous groups making up the rest.
3/ The village museum has installed a display with photographs of local residents who died in the war. It currently shows 18 portraits of confirmed victims, though there may well be more unlisted given the very large numbers of soldiers declared to be missing in action.
1/ The Russian authorities have published details of three people accused of Friday's shooting of Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev. Two men have been arrested, one in the UAE, while a woman is said to have escaped to Ukraine, which is blamed for the attack. ⬇️
2/ The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (roughly Russia's equivalent of the FBI) has issued a statement, which includes the following:
3/ "Investigators conducted a thorough inspection at the scene, during which they discovered the murder weapon – a Makarov pistol with an attached silencer and three rounds of ammunition.