What a soldier’s complaints tell us about Russia’s war effort
Tom Rogan
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A Russian soldier’s scathing lament of the military’s performance in Ukraine has been endorsed by the Wagner Group and Rusich mercenary forces. The soldier’s complaints afford insight into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s struggles in Ukraine.
All is not well for Russia on the Ukraine front.
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The unnamed soldier’s central admonition centers on what he says is the failure of Russian commanders to take responsibility for their subordinates. The soldier describes poor planning, an absence even of maps, and inadequate force levels. He says this is leading to major casualties on missions pursuing near-impossible objectives. As an extension, the post warns that units are being left without means of casualty evacuation. It offers a scathing critique of rear echelon forces, described as “assholes,” who are accused of failing to move forward to recover casualties. Combat medicine stations are said to be desperately short of supplies. Also bad for morale? Offering some choice rhetoric, the soldier suggests the wrong people are being given combat medals. He says it is those closest to commanders who are receiving medals and not those who are fighting on the front lines.
Inadequate counter-artillery fire is another issue. The post explains that Ukrainian forces are saturating front-line Russian units with heavy artillery fire. Again criticizing commanders for failing to recognize the costs this is imposing on units, the post says that Russian counter-artillery fire is weak or nonexistent. It adds that illumination rounds (needed to identify and mark enemy targets) are also absent. This testimony fits with reports of significant Russian armament deficits, hence why Putin is begging North Korea for weapons.
Communications are also described as spotty and unreliable. Another recent Russian military-affiliated post suggests that Ukrainian forces continue to penetrate encrypted Russian radio systems. This is apparently just the tip of the iceberg. The post adds that poor equipment remains a perpetual issue, including a lack of anti-tank weapons with infrared targeting capabilities (necessary to defeat modern Western tanks now in Ukraine’s possession).
The problem for Moscow?
Even if these complaints are exaggerated (considering how they comport with numerous other credible complaints, I suspect they are not), the soldier’s words reflect a litany of overlapping challenges. It’s one thing to have poor commanders and equipment; it’s a very different thing to have poor commanders and equipment, as well as inadequate artillery support, no confidence in being evacuated or saved if wounded, and no recognition for sacrifices.
Moreover, this challenge extends to the mercenary forces such as Wagner and Rusich. Wagner Group fighters appear divided between mourning for their recently departed leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and returning to Russia. And Rusich is currently complaining over what it regards as Moscow’s inadequate effort to secure the release of one of their leaders who has been detained in Finland.
As winter approaches, Ukraine retains the strategic initiative. In contrast, as Russian forces remain locked into a brutal defensive posture and Ukrainian drones continue to wreak havoc in Moscow and beyond, Putin will appear increasingly weak.