From ‘The Analyst’ (Military & Strategic) X: MilStratOnX
RUSSIAN INCOMPETENCE STRIKES AGAIN
Russian forces have long suffered from an inability to communicate properly between ground units and with air forces.
Coordinated operations are often nonexistent. Partly that’s down to the lack of experience in the field, poor or no radio equipment, inexperienced staff officers and a lack of NCO grades in the field to correct mistakes and retain discipline when something goes wrong. Russian forces don’t work well with initiative, expecting to be directed from a distance.
Another prime example of this occurred at Hybolke in the western Kharkiv sector.
The Ukrainian forces here have managed to push their way back into the village despite Russian attempts to stop them.
It has been something of a swings and roundabouts campaign, with both sides gaining and loosing territory. This time it was Ukraine’s turn to push deep into the village.
The Ukrainians recaptured an agricultural centre and the land around it. On the other side of the village at night, they use their superior night vision and armoured vehicles to press Russian forces and find weaknesses.
The Russians have moved the reconstituted 155th Naval Infantry from the southern front- it was largely wiped out at Vuhledar at least twice - to the area, and sends in small groups through tree lines, mostly on motorbikes and ATV’s, to carry out drone operations.
However these haven’t stopped the Ukrainians from attacking and they have even used glide bombs dropped from Ukrainian air force Su-27’s on stubborn areas of resistance. This lead to a ‘semi-encirclement’ of the village.
The Russians themselves are torn over the whole Kharkiv offensive, which is recognised as a failure not that anyone will say the word. Having lost some 70,000 troops here in three months and having nothing much left to do anything but dig in (if Ukrainian drones will give them the chance), it’s largely seen as a lost cause, but nobody at the top will recognise it.
In the centre of the western sector, Russian units were attempting to rotate fresh troops into the line, only for poor organisation and communications to end up in a pitched battle during the night against each other, right in front of Ukrainian observers.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to make things worse, the Ukrainians attacked the supply and evacuation trucks for both units, convincing each of the Russian forces they were fighting Ukrainians, when in fact they were attacking themselves. Just to make it worse the Ukrainians helped both sides do maximum damage to each other by lobbing in mortars and FPV drones for added measure.
It took over three hours before the Russians realised they were fighting their own side.
This graveyard of the Kharkiv front is a charade and a resource sucking waste of Russian forces - the military seem to know this. But the political decision has been made that a 20-40km ‘buffer zone’ must be established come what may. Only yesterday the Kremlin officially confirmed its position, stating operations would continue until this was achieved.
With what? How? In three months they have barely moved, lost over 7 brigades worth of manpower and equipment and are on the defensive. As a result yet more infantry are being assembled to fight in the area and attempt to reverse the situation. Politicians can be the death of armies.
Overall the Ukrainians have the situation contained and seem to be nearly ready to make a move on a larger scale. However they will face yet more poorly trained contract troops thrown into the line to bolster the Russian defence - and the Russians will use their attack to defend tactics regardless of losses. It’s far from over yet.
‘The Analyst’ MilStratOnX
Slava Ukraini !
