As per some estimates, the Russian military has deployed as many as 20 generals were deployed
to lead Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine.
Out of this, Russia has lost at least 5 generals in fighting in less than a month.
By comparison, the United States has lost two general officers during the Global War
on Terror which has lasted for more than 20 years- Army Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude was killed
at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001 attack and Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was
killed in an Aug. 5, 2014 insider attack in Afghanistan.
The death of one general officer in combat is an incredibly rare thing, the death of
multiple generals is almost unbelievable.
This can't be brushed aside as coincidence and multiple factors are at play.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why Russia is losing so many military generals
in Ukraine?
Let's get into the details.
Russian commanders generally tend to take a hands-on approach when compared to Western
military leaders.
They operated much closer to the front line.
While maps and models are referred to, the Russian generals like to survey the territories
themselves to optimize the battle plans.
For example, during operation "Uranus" in World War 2, Soviet General Marshal Zhukov
personally visited the front and, noticing the poor organization, insisted on a one-week
delay in the start date of the planned attack.
Though this kind of approach is fine from certain perspectives, there are some implications.
It makes Russian generals more susceptible to enemy attacks and in some cases even friendly
fire.
Russian troops have reportedly been suffering due to poor communication equipment that are
unreliable.
Ukrainian intelligence officials have indicated that they picked up on radio chatters expressing
frustration over a breakdown in secure Russian communications equipment.
Ukrainian forces have also been compounding the Russian's communications woes by jamming
their radio frequencies.
This has compelled many Russian soldiers to resort to using cell phones, which can be
intercepted by the Ukrainians.
Once a call is intercepted, it can be traced back to the location from which it is made
and targeted.
It is to be noted in this context that Ukraine is still in control of the country’s cellular
network.
Also, because of this Russian Generals are struggling to get support even when in dire
need.
Russia's military command structure is very centralized.
Russian soldiers at lower levels of command are delegated less responsibility.
They are trained to be obedient but can't take any initiative themselves, so every soldier
simply does what they are told, a Soviet-era hangover that still exists even today.
The quality of these recruits is also not very good.
Hence, there are a lot of responsibilities for the senior commanders.
They plan as well as drive the battle.
The Western militaries, generally are much more flexible.
This kind of setup means that Russian commanders have a lot to do, their need for interactions
and travels are a lot more compared to their Western counterparts.
This makes them vulnerable especially when operating inside enemy territory.
Military experts around the world have pointed out that there is a lack of coordination between
the Russian Air Force and ground troop formations.
It is evident from the examination of several footage that Russian columns of troops moved
forward beyond the reach of their own air defense cover which exposed them to attacks.
Several times Russian convoys have even been ambushed by Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones
which should have been taken out in advance by Russian aircraft or air defense systems.
It is clear that Russians are having difficulty coordinating multi-domain operations and hence
at times the senior commanders are finding themselves in scenarios from which there is
no easy escape.
Since Russia has not achieved air superiority, close air support is not always quickly available
that could help the Russian military leaders wriggle out from tight spots.
Russian military planners underestimated the strength of Ukraine’s armed forces.
It not only didn't take into account that the Ukrainian military has made significant
progress in terms of training and equipment with the help of the West since the capture
of Crimea in 2014, but has also made an improvement when it comes to formulating strategies.
According to a report on the BBC, a specific Ukrainian military intelligence team has been
set up to target Russia’s senior officers.
This is part of the Ukrainian military tactic to damage the Russian military's decision-making
abilities.
Ukraine is numerically and equipment-wise at a disadvantage and hence such an asymmetric
approach has been taken.
This also helps with setting up the narrative and information war.
Loss of leaders can also inflict a heavy toll on the morale of Russian troops which has
been already low since the beginning of the hostilities.