JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s army is learning on the battlefield” – The Economist
“A new report shows how its tactics are improving. Ukraine can still beat it.”
“Russian generals have been slow to learn from … strategic errors. … botch[ing] Russia’s initial assault on Kyiv, bungl[ing] an assault on the eastern Donbas … last summer and … fritter[ing] away tens of thousands of troops … on the same front [more recently] …. But … Russia’s army [reportedly] still appears to be learning and improving [significantly] …. [Regarding] basic infantry tactics[,] Russia started [out] … using battalion tactical groups … of 800 or so men [theoretically] equipped … with armour, artillery and air defences. … woefully understrength and tactically inept. … [But] Russia now sends small packets of ‘disposable’ infantry … often under the influence of amphetamines, to ‘skirmish … until killed.’ … [to] reveal[] Ukrainian positions and use[] up Ukrainian ammo. … [L]arger groups of better-trained assault infantry [then follow], backed up by armour, mortars and artillery [then quickly dig in and fortify new positions]. … [P]erhaps where Russian adaptation and improvement has been most impressive … [reportedly has been] Russia[n] … deploy[ment] of big ew [electronic warfare] systems for every 10km … of the front. … largely aimed at drones. …”
Russian artillery reportedly is becoming more effective, including through the use of drones and coordinating computers.
One Russian tactic is to withdraw from areas being assaulted by Ukrainians, then attempt to saturate the Ukrainians with Russian artillery strikes once Ukrainian forces have moved in.
Russian tanks reportedly have become less aggressive, firing from greater distances and taking steps intended to make their locations less detectable.
Reactive armor is intended to explode outwards against incoming enemy fire.
Russian air defenses also have shown improvement, especially with regard to electronic coordination of data and hard-wiring of some communications. Command and control sites have been pulled back, dispersed and fortified.
Nevertheless, Russian forces still have vulnerabilities and Ukraine’s hoped-for offensives potentially still can be effective.