(Image byNEIVANMADE)
At the beginning of last week several of you asked me what I thought about the reporting – I believe it was from WaPo – regarding issues with the Ukrainian military. I read it when it was published, but the week was just a slog, but I want to make sure I take a couple of minutes to answer your questions. I think there are three things going on. The first is that while Ukraine’s national command authority clearly has a theater strategy and a campaign plan with all the sequels and contingency plans, that plan is opaque. It is opaque to us observing the war. US officials have repeatedly said they are not given all the details. And most certainly, as is the case in every war, the Soldiers at the tactical end of things also are not provided all the details. While General Zaluzhny and Colonel General Syrskyi clearly know what they’re doing in regard to the theater strategy, why, and what has to happen for one sequel to the campaign plan to be implemented versus another, a battalion commander does not. The second thing I think is going on is that this is the first war fought with a fully mature social media ecosystem in place. And with Soldiers who have grown up on and using social media. So while it might not be surprising that a battalion commander or a company commander or just a random Soldier would take to social media to complain, where in past wars they might just do it to their buddies or by letter home or by phone call or, even, email, you just cannot have battalion commanders mouthing off to WaPo. Because, keeping the first thing I described in mind, that battalion commander most likely does not know everything that the senior leaders do. That doesn’t make him wrong, but it is something to keep in mind. Finally, the third thing is there is a divide among Ukraine’s forces that is related to the generational divide between senior leaders and average Soldier. The most senior members of Ukraine’s military began there service in the wake of the Soviet Union falling. The Soldiers leading the platoons, companies, battalions, and in some cases brigades did not. For a very long period of time Ukraine’s military, like the militaries of all the former Soviet states, was organized along the model of the Soviet military. Ukraine has made great strides moving away from this Soviet military legacy, but that transition is not complete. As a result, younger Ukrainian military leaders who have spent far more time training with the US and/or our NATO allies have a much different understanding of how a military should work than some of the most senior leaders. What we’re seeing is growing pains and, unfortunately, in the middle of a war. I’m not too worried that Ukraine won’t be able to work through this.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:
War for Ukraine Day 389: Sunday! Sunday!! SUNDAY!!!!Post + Comments (29)