Russia's War Against Ukraine

[bobarossa]

Putin is going to need a coal fired locomotive to get around soon.

[SirAndrewD]

Well, looks like the rumors of Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi being at odds with how last years war effort was conducted were true.  Zaluzhnyi's been fired.

Zelensky's promoting Oleksandr Syrskyi to take his place.  Syrskyi's been a lot closer to the action during the war, organizing the defense of Kyiv and was the architect of the Kharkiv counterattack. He also has been commanding the active defense of Bakhmut and has generally been the one favoring and drawing resources for a more northern strategy rather than grinding away towards Crimea.

Not really surprised at this.  Zaluzhnyi didn't seem to really be able to adjust to the changing realities on the battlefield.  Syrskyi's been more active and has much larger first hand experience of the realities of the front.

[FarAway Sooner]

I hope that bodes well for the battlefield performance of the Ukrainian army.  By the time someone is at the top of the army, does a guy need to really understand the situation on the battlefield?

In my experience, the best managers (and the best generals) know how to surround themselves with talented people who can work together to bring about results at the front line.  It doesn't exactly matter whether that front line is customer service calls in a call center, sales meetings with prospective clients, or operations at the battlefront.

I'm not saying that having a supreme commander who is a consummate REMF is a good thing.  I just don't know that anybody ever talked about Eisenhower's abilities as a battlefield commander.  Then again, Eisenhower had a larger army to supervise (even if his total front was probably smaller).

[SirAndrewD]

In my experience, the best managers (and the best generals) know how to surround themselves with talented people who can work together to bring about results at the front line.  It doesn't exactly matter whether that front line is customer service calls in a call center, sales meetings with prospective clients, or operations at the battlefront.

That's not really how old Red Army command doctrine works and unfortunately Ukraine suffers from the same institutional problems with its Officer Corps as Russia does.  Ukraine's upper command is still made up almost entirely of products of Red Army training and doctrine.

[GDS_Starfury]

I think that Zaluzhnyi was the right guy for that phase of the war.  the war for Ukraine needs to move on from mostly defensive operations.  I think this is a good time to do it during the winter and mud season.  we'll see what happens.

[GDS_Starfury]

the state of russian tracks.....   

[Skoop]

Well, looks like the rumors of Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi being at odds with how last years war effort was conducted were true.  Zaluzhnyi's been fired.

Zelensky's promoting Oleksandr Syrskyi to take his place.  Syrskyi's been a lot closer to the action during the war, organizing the defense of Kyiv and was the architect of the Kharkiv counterattack. He also has been commanding the active defense of Bakhmut and has generally been the one favoring and drawing resources for a more northern strategy rather than grinding away towards Crimea.

Not really surprised at this.  Zaluzhnyi didn't seem to really be able to adjust to the changing realities on the battlefield.  Syrskyi's been more active and has much larger first hand experience of the realities of the front.

I was always wondering why they didn't go all in with a northern offensive versus right into the teeth of heavily defended zaporizia in the south.  I was always under the impression that logistics train stopped the 2022 kharkov offensive, not the russians, so it seemed like the best place to keep attacking.

[SirAndrewD]

I was always wondering why they didn't go all in with a northern offensive versus right into the teeth of heavily defended zaporizia in the south.  I was always under the impression that logistics train stopped the 2022 kharkov offensive, not the russians, so it seemed like the best place to keep attacking.

That came primarily from NATO pressure that Zaluzhnyi caved to.  From my people in the know, there was very much a suggestion of "We're giving you all this gear, but you will need to use it 'right' in return". 

Syrskyi kept his operations going in the Bakhmut area even with the main effort being concentrated in the south.  That said to me at the time there was some disagreement in the Ukrainian MOD about where the full pressure of the attack went, and NATO generals later took the UMOD to task for not being "all in" in the south.

For my part on the sidelines, I always felt the north was the best strategy as well.  The entire world and western media telegraphed where the blow would fall, and the Russians believed it.  If they'd turned that into a feint and instead hit them somewhere else, that could've made a much more real dent with fewer losses. 

It's the difference in a Chess strategy vs a Go strategy.  NATO and Zaluzhnyi wanted the checkmate, where there would've been more benefit to a different, less sexy but potentially better long term operation.  Cutting the railheads that are supplying the Donbass would've been much more beneficial today, and they did kind of squander the opportunity as Russia has now fortified that area too.

[GDS_Starfury]

I won't be around to see it but I wonder what how history will look back on this era from 50 years perspective.

[Skoop]

It's looking more like the winter war lately. 

[Crossroads]

It's looking more like the winter war lately. 

November 1939 to January 1940 Soviet Union made incremental advance supported by heavy artillery and willingness to absorb massive human losses.

On February 1940, Finland ran out of artillery shells, and the front line started to collapse.

On March 1940, should the war have gone just two or three weeks longer, collapse would have been total and irreversible. Instead, with the talk of an Anglo-French intervention being possible (it wasn't), Stalin blinked.

Let us hope history not repeating itself 

[Crossroads]

So what did you guys think of the Putin interview? I for one was very glad to see Mr Putin finally offered a chance to present his view on things here. With compliments to ms Truckerson.

https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1756029529041093073

[GDS_Starfury]

 

[Gusington]

Some 21st century Russian myth with your lunch, perhaps?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68255302

[Pete Dero]

Some 21st century Russian myth with your lunch, perhaps?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68255302

Just some alternative facts.