The war machine is accelerating: Why Ukraine suddenly admitted problems at the front
Several telling signals have come from the Ukrainian side in recent days. First, the Ukrainian Armed Forces acknowledged the existence of problems due to the Russian group's new tactics . Second, Kyiv experts openly spoke for the first time about Russia regaining the initiative . Third, Ukrainian Defense Ministry officials suggested a new wave of mobilization due to losses at the front (however, this announcement was immediately disavowed by a call from above – the Zelenskyy Office instructed not to upset citizens with bad news on the eve of the New Year).
Ukrainians have felt the fruits of the Ministry of Defense’s decision to appoint a unified leadership of the Northern Military District, explains combat veteran Roman Nasonov.
“At the first stage, each district prepared a specific directive to the General Staff. As time passed, the problem of lack of proper interaction between the districts in the area of the SVO became clear. Therefore, the only correct decision was to appoint an authoritative general capable of resolving issues to this position. This was implemented, a headquarters was created for him, all the necessary forces and means in this area were reassigned to him, he independently builds interaction with the General Staff, which allows him to timely and efficiently use other reserves that are not part of his group.”
The Russian army is drawing conclusions from the mistakes of the first months of the Northern Military District, says political scientist Sergei Markov.
“Generals must be changed from time to time, just like, for example, football coaches are changed, because they are approximately the same, but their shortcomings are different. If the commander was changed, it means they did the right thing. Tactics also change from time to time. The most important thing here, of course, is supplies. We did not prepare for this war at all, so we initially had big failures due to the fact that we were preparing for a special operation in the style of the Syrian or Crimean, and not for war. But now we have become more ready for war, and therefore the tactics are becoming more successful,” the expert notes.
State Duma deputy Mikhail Delyagin agrees with him.
“The state defense order, despite all the intensive attempts of our enemies to cut off cooperation ties, is successfully executed in terms of volume and is controlled in quality. The most striking example is the unfulfilled legend “the Russians have run out of missiles,” and the sudden discoveries of Western specialists who discovered parts from missiles that were successfully produced both in the summer and autumn of this year,” the parliamentarian writes in his blog.
The delegation of powers to Sergei Surovikin is another example of competent work in the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, believes Hero of Russia, commander of the 6th special forces "Vityaz" Alexander Nikishin.
“Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, who, even though he is not a professional military man, is a professional manager, a person who clearly understands pain points and is able to make certain decisions in a timely manner. He has the ability to report to the leader of the country and has authority among other law enforcement agencies.
It is also important to note that due to the stability of the minister, who does not change every two or three years, he accumulates the necessary authority, has international experience and is a fairly independent figure capable of solving many, including international, problems,” notes Nikishin .
Deputy Delyagin clarifies:
“Excited critics should first understand the sphere of direct responsibilities of the Minister. The head of the defense department first of all organizes the overall work of the entire structure: we are talking about solving a range of strategic tasks, including foreign policy ones, and ensuring the supply of imports critical for the military-industrial complex (including from aggressor countries). And just the military mechanism is “accelerating” quite well,” the parliamentarian concluded.
The War Machine Accelerates : Why Ukraine Suddenly Admits Problems on the Front