How Russia’s Revamped Military Fumbled the Invasion of Ukraine; Ukrainian Counterattack Leaves Russian Helicopter Fleet in Smoldering Ruins; Ukraine Has Become a Graveyard for Russian Tanks; NY Post/WSJ: Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES, and other related stories

By admin On Mar 17, 2022

How Russia’s Revamped Military Fumbled the Invasion of Ukraine:

For over a decade, Russia spent hundreds of billions of dollars restructuring its military into a smaller, better equipped and more-professional force that could face off against the West.

Three weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its first big test, the armed forces have floundered. Western estimates, while highly uncertain, suggest as many as 7,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed.

The dead included four Russian generals—one-fifth of the number estimated to be in Ukraine—along with other senior commanders, according to a Western official and Ukrainian military reports. The generals were close to the front lines, some Western officials said, a sign that lower ranks in forward units were likely unable to make decisions or fearful of advancing.

Russian troops turned to using open telephone and analog radios following the failure of encrypted communications systems, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has said, making them vulnerable to intercept or jamming. Russian officers were likely targeted after their positions were exposed by their use of open communications, Western military analysts said.

In the strategically located town of Voznesensk, Ukrainian forces comprising local volunteers and the professional military drove off an attack early this month, in one of the most comprehensive routs Russian forces have suffered since invading Ukraine.

Russia’s failings appear to trace to factors ranging from the Kremlin’s wrong assumptions about Ukrainian resistance to the use of poorly motivated conscript soldiers. They suggest that Russia and the West overestimated Moscow’s overhauls of its armed forces, which some military analysts say appear to have been undermined by graft and misreporting.

The military’s previous outings in staged maneuvers and smaller operations in Syria didn’t prepare it for a multipronged attack into a country with a military fiercely defending its homeland, said Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CNA, a nonprofit research organization based in Arlington, Va. —>READ MORE HERE

Ukrainian Counterattack Leaves Russian Helicopter Fleet in Smoldering Ruins:

A Ukrainian strike on a captured airfield in southern Ukraine destroyed numerous Russian helicopters and military vehicles.

Tuesday satellite imagery showed thorough devastation at the Kherson Airbase.

Russian forces bragged about taking control of the airbase two weeks ago during an offensive along the Dnieper River, according to The Drive.

Two companies that operate photography satellites published images of the devastation at the airbase, and investigative journalism organization Bellingcat shared images obtained by both companies — Planet and Maxar.

First March 16th imagery of Kherson airbase following a Ukrainian attack that destroyed multiple helicopters via @planet (left). Compared to the @Maxar imagery from March 15th (right) there appears to be additional damage. pic.twitter.com/fYklB5WFuZ

— Bellingcat (@bellingcat) March 16, 2022