The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valeriy Zaluzhny, an interview with The Economist and a response by a Russian military expert, Mikhail Khodarenok
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valeriy Zaluzhny, gave an extensive interview to the British publication The Economist. In particular, he compared the events on the Russian-Ukrainian fronts with the First World War. How correct is such a statement, and why the military leader suddenly started talking about the failures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was examined by the military observer of Gazeta.Ru Mikhail Khodarenok.
Google translation as a suggestion for the title: Rusty dick and hair bother. Take it however you wish. For those who still believe in artificial intelligence but cannot get what Google translation means. Bad fuckers will blame even their pubic hair. Maybe the General should have shaved before the battle? Yes, it is rude. Such is life. Get the picture
To begin with, it should be noted that statements by the leadership of the armed forces of a critical nature, especially those made during the war, are evidence of certain trouble and significant disagreements in the military-political leadership of the country, and they do not easily end up in the media. It is very characteristic that in almost every paragraph of his interview, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, in fact, makes excuses for failures on the fronts of the Northern Military District.
What does World War I have to do with it, General Zaluzhny?
The current situation in the special military operation zone reminds the military leader of the First World War (WWI).
It should be noted that comparing the situation on the line of combat contact with the times of WWI has become fashionable. Almost all Western political scientists and military experts like to do this. However, all such comparisons are very arbitrary. Thinking by that analogy is almost always counterproductive.
Most importantly, the reasons that gave rise to the positional impasse of the First World War are strikingly different from the reasons that underlay the unsuccessful combat operations of units and formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the zone of a special military operation.
For example, Valery Zaluzhny argues that “just like during the First World War, we have reached a level of technology that baffles us. Most likely, there will be no deep and beautiful breakthrough.”
What is Zaluzhny wrong about?
In fact, during the First World War, it was not the level of development of technology that led to a positional deadlock but, on the contrary, its absence. So, when the troops rushed to attack (emerged from the first trench or, as they said then, “went over the edge”), all communication was lost, and operational control of units and units during the battle became almost impossible. Radio communications at the tactical level were then at a rudimentary level. For example, artillery fire control during fire support of an attack was practically absent.
But even in those days, talented commanders achieved operational and strategic results during offensive operations.
In this regard, it is enough to recall at least the Brusilov breakthrough (the offensive operation of the Southwestern Front under the command of General Brusilov, during which Austria-Hungary and Germany were defeated in August 1916, Bukovina, Volyn and Eastern Galicia were occupied. Thus, if there is a military genius, there will certainly be a “deep and beautiful” breakthrough.
“The soldiers may not be fit for purpose.”
In his previous interview with The Economist, General Zaluzhny spoke in great detail about what he needs to successfully conduct military operations. This list included the Air Force, unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare equipment, counter-battery warfare equipment, various means of combating minefields, and strategic reserves.
But the general never answered the question: why did the Ukrainian Armed Forces launch an offensive operation in early June of this year without possessing either technological or numerical superiority over the enemy? That is, there was no superiority over the enemy at any point in the above list, and yet the Ukrainian units rushed into the attack.
It is, of course, unclear from the interview of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with The Economist who pushed Zaluzhny into such an adventure, which could only end in failure. But the general still made certain hints.
Failures during the offensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine led Zaluzhny to the idea that some commanders of units and formations do not correspond to their positions.
“At first, I thought something was wrong with our commanders, so I replaced some. Then I thought that perhaps our soldiers were unsuitable for this purpose, so I transferred some to other brigades,” Zaluzhny told The Economist. However, the personnel changes did not lead to any significant changes in the military operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Who will be responsible for the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces?
On June 4, Valery Zaluzhny began an offensive operation without superiority in radio-electronic means, air supremacy, and overall fire and numerical superiority over the enemy. It is quite possible that he was aware of this (we will not know about it soon). It turns out that he was initially given unrealistic combat and operational tasks. Only President Vladimir Zelensky could do this.
The inspiration for this post is the article published in gazeta.ru
I will dare to add some of my views on the above. It is my blog, after all.
- Historically, all those whose ideologies were based on banning other languages, religions, artists and books have lost in the end. I am not sure if it is because of the human ability to rise above the ideological swamp given to us by Mother Nature or if it happens by divine intervention by the Creator himself. I am not up to that level of thinking. However, all my life, I believed in that. I believe in justice. From my limited knowledge of history – justice will prevail. My Palestinian brothers and sisters think about that.
- Tudja ruka svrab ne cese General. It means that someone else’s hand will not scratch your itch. In 2014 you became a slave to foreign interests on your own land. General, there is one only word to describe it – TREASON. For that, in any decent country, they send you in front of the firing squad.
- As one of us (at some point – you were), you know that we are uncut, cross with three fingers and don’t play with our pubic hair, and others should avoid fucking around with us. It does not apply to defectors, General. That is what you are.