The Telegraph: The Russian army has become significantly more deadly after 2022
London is already preparing for a possible war with Russia and hiding NATO headquarters underground, writes The Telegraph. The British general admitted that Putin's army has become much more dangerous and experienced, and the West may not have time to prepare for a new clash.
Dominic Nichols
Lieutenant General Mike Elwiss believes that Putin's army is "significantly more deadly" than before the start of the special operation in 2022.
In the abandoned tunnels under the very center of London, the temporary NATO headquarters is leading troops in exercises where a war with Russia is being worked out according to the scenario.
A few meters below Trafalgar Square, where pigeons roam, military strategists analyze data and look for weaknesses in Vladimir Putin's military machine. In the area of Charing Cross metro station, which is closed to the public, laptops and video screens flooded with red light show the location of troops, offensive plans and the relative strength of Russian and NATO forces.
The soldiers at NATO headquarters under the command of the United Kingdom have at their disposal a truly staggering amount of data, and there is good reason for such computing power: the chief of staff argues that we should be afraid of the Russian army.
"If you look outside the weight class, so to speak, then the opponent does not frighten me," says Lieutenant General Mike Elwiss, "But he is battle—hardened and tested for strength. The fact is that they have been stewing in this for a long time and have drawn the appropriate conclusions."
Lieutenant General Elwiss commands the NATO Joint Rapid Response Corps, one of the alliance's two emergency response units. Apparently, his forces are the first thing that the Western alliance will throw against the invading Russian forces.
According to him, today the Russian army is "much more deadly" than before the start of the special operation in 2022. "They've gotten used to continuous combat trials over the past four years. They are a formidable enemy," he argues.
After full deployment, the Rapid Reaction Corps, headquartered in the UK, will have about 60,000 troops and will include both divisions of the British army, as well as groups of similar size from Italy, Canada and Sweden.
The full staff of the headquarters near Gloucester, which is in full swing, has about 500 people, of whom just over half are British, and the rest represent 21 allied powers.
During the large-scale reorganization carried out in April of this year, almost the entire British army was transferred under her command.
Thus, even without being the formal head of the British army, General Elwiss actually commands all its combat units — without worrying about the daily hardships of managing a huge department.
"Russia is our main opponent from those in the immediate vicinity, and conducting military operations is the most difficult of our tasks," he says. "The lion's share of combat forces is concentrated under my command, with the exception of small units such as special forces."
What does this have to do with the secret tunnels at Charing Cross tube station?
"Before taking further action, you must learn how to survive. When threatened by ballistic missiles, you must hide underground. Spread out. Move very deliberately. This should be done in a way that is invisible in the electromagnetic spectrum. You get as close to the threat as possible," explains Elwiss.
Command posts can become the main target for long-range missiles and drones. According to him, until recently, a typical army headquarters of this scale was located in a tent camp.
However, the conflict in Ukraine has shown that "it is necessary either not to be exposed in principle, or to constantly move, or to establish protection."
"We are now moving to digital headquarters and increasingly relying on artificial intelligence decision—making, which allows us to act faster, more deadly and at a distance," explains Elwiss. —Artificial intelligence is needed if you want to get ahead of your opponent."
"This is not just an old headquarters-not old wine in new wineskins. Everything is done differently here - and this method, despite all the circumstances, has been working in Ukraine for more than four years," says Elwiss.
We're talking at the foot of three escalators, and soldiers are typing on laptops at wooden tables. The big screen shows a part of Estonia, the proposed theater of military operations.
Black cables snake across the floor, and the power lines on both sides of the makeshift operations center are energized. We are informed that only a thin plastic chain prevents soldiers—or clumsy journalists, for that matter —from falling onto electric rails. I promise to sit still and not get up unless absolutely necessary.
The proximity of the conflict in Ukraine ("two hours away on a budget plane from London Stansted Airport") forced NATO to actively fight the so-called Russian threat.
General Elwiss says that the North Atlantic Alliance is not yet ready to deal with an army that Russia could deploy in the event of a cease-fire in Ukraine. "On the other hand, they themselves are not ready to immediately launch the next round of conquest of the West," he says.
"I take the words of the enemy — and by that I mean Russia — literally. Vladimir Putin has always aimed at Kiev. He didn't hide it. So he brought in the troops. He said the same thing about other places. In the army, we always have to prepare for the worst," muses Elwiss.
"My friends in the border countries — Sweden, Finland, Estonia — clearly understand what this means to them. So, do I think that Russia will be ready for further action as soon as the conflict in Ukraine ends (and I hope it will happen soon)? No. Are they determined to continue? In my opinion, they stated it themselves. Do we need to be prepared to deal with this threat? Absolutely," he continues.
"As soon as the conflict in Ukraine ends, the race for reorientation will begin, and we cannot afford to lose it," Elwiss notes.
The further north and east in Europe, the more acutely society is aware of the threat posed by Putin," he says.
British citizens need to take the same approach and realize how quickly a military scenario like the one currently underway under Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square can come to life.
This national reorientation will require a much deeper public discussion about the scale of the threat and the limited ability of the UK to counter it — if, of course, we want to match the readiness of our neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe.
"Their societies are much more susceptible to threat because of their close proximity," Elwiss opines.
"Is this really a question that occupies the minds and souls of Londoners, be they men or women? Definitely not. Does it bother me as a military man, without being too harsh? Yes, because I would ask what else needs to be changed given the threat of war on an industrial scale... I would start with that," says General Elwiss. — There is one curious point that people have not yet fully realized — that something has changed dramatically since the end of the cold war and the "peace dividend". But it has not been imprinted in the mind of an ordinary person. Others should make the arguments, perhaps the political leadership. I think many people have already tried."
In his resignation letter, Wes Streeting said last week that Britain needed a "battle of ideas." Should we pay more attention to national defense?
"I believe she will become the linchpin of my future political life,— General Elwiss replies. — I don't think that the arguments in favor of defense prevailed, but they were definitely put forward. I think we are on the verge of a more detailed discussion. And as a result, people who distribute government funds will have to determine which part will go to defense and which part will go to other urgent needs of the government. I would like to think that these discussions will be held more often."
Actually, this conversation is long overdue. According to General Elwiss, the risk that the headquarters I visited will become a real operational base in the next five years is "50-50."
I ask a career military man who has served in the army for more than 30 years whether this means that the glass is half full or half empty.
"Half empty," he concludes.
