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Western military officials claim that Vladimir Putin has made low-level military decisions in Ukraine.
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The Guardian and The Sunday Times reported that the president was dictating the military’s move in Donbus.
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“It’s not a good way to fight war,” Russian expert Simon Miles told insiders.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has become increasingly involved in low-level military strategies in it. Russia’s ongoing failure According to media reports, in Ukraine.
Western military sources this week said Parents When The Sunday Times The President of Russia has made operational and tactical decisions.
One source used Amazon’s analogy to explain the Times situation. “Jeff Bezos will not deliver your package. He will decide on a strategy.”
Putin, in particular, plays an important role in determining the movement of the army in Donbus, where the Russians are suffering. Some setbacks Next last week Multiple failed attempts to cross a strategic riverA source told the outlet.
Officials also worked closely with Russian commander-in-chief General Valery Gerasimov, even though Putin claimed that Ukrainian troops had been suspended following increased defeats earlier this month. Said that.
The Pentagon refused to comment on the report, and the UK Pentagon did not respond to insider requests for comment.
According to Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and a historian of Soviet-US-Soviet relations, Western authorities suggest that Putin is “in control” of Russia’s war efforts. Those will be supported by precedent.
“Involving top-level people at the tactical level is not unusual in the way Russian troops fight,” Miles told insiders. “That’s true in the US context (and derogatoryly called” micromanagement “). “
It is common for Russian military generals to “personally shape the event” Take their troops directly to the battlefieldMiles said. Gerasimov himself did so at Izyum earlier this month. But the main reason is to bring top-level executives to the forefront. Russia has lost so many generals Since the beginning of the war.
According to Miles, Russia’s major military decisions often need to follow a chain of command over high-ranking officers before they can be implemented. By the time approval is obtained, the situation at the site can vary significantly.
“It’s not a good way to fight war,” Miles said. “This is not the most combative military culture in the long run, but it helps to understand the poor performance of Russians on the battlefield.”
Professional soldiers in the Western Army are trained to find opportunities to execute orders based on changes in enemy position and preparation, or the contours of the battlefield. This is important knowledge lost to political leaders far from the front.
Two days before Putin began the invasion at the end of February, The president delivered a precursory diatribe In it he denied Ukraine’s state and sovereignty and falsely claimed that Ukraine was part of Russia’s historic territory.
In the months since the Russian army invaded Ukraine, it became more and more apparent. Putin’s personal revenge on Ukraine And those people played a huge role in the beginning of the war.
“I think it’s inevitable [Putin] What is in micromanagement This is exactly his war. “ Miles said. “We are increasingly aware that all this was planned by a very small group centered around Putin.”
The Times reported that military intelligence sources believe Putin’s heavy hands in military operations may have contributed to Russia’s failure. But Miles said the Russian struggle can go back further.
“Yes, the president’s low-level decision-making probably contributed to the current tactical failure, but more importantly, it was the cause of the massive strategic failure of the first week.”
Read the original article Business Insider