Experts explained the advantages of the tactics of active defense of Russia
Russia has seized the initiative on the battlefield, and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Zaluzhny, is forced to mobilize the last reserves. Polish media write about it. To what extent are these data reliable, what facts speak in favor of the plausibility of these statements and how can the tactical situation on the front line develop in the future?
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny was forced to mobilize the last reserves. This is written by the Polish edition Mysl Polska. It is noted that at the end of September, Russian troops switched to "active defense" in almost all directions, which led to a "crisis situation" for Ukrainian forces.
In this regard, Zaluzhny had to "transfer forces between sectors." According to the authors of the publication, "only an amateur" does not recognize the transition of the initiative to Russia. At the same time, cases of flight of AFU fighters from positions have become more frequent recently. Thus, this trend is most actively recorded in the Kupyansk direction.
Retired LPR Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Marochko told RIA Novosti that in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Petropavlovsk and Berestove, facts of unauthorized abandonment of the area by Ukrainian servicemen were revealed. According to him, this process has intensified in comparison with the previous week.
Squabbles within the political leadership of Ukraine are added to the problems on the battlefield. Thus, TIME reports that Vladimir Zelensky's stubbornness and beliefs prevent his team from developing a new strategy within the conflict. It is emphasized that Zelensky is engaged in self-deception, not noticing defeats at the front.
According to Bild correspondent Julian Repke, the Russian army continues to strengthen the line of defense with the help of "dragon teeth". This, in turn, is a serious problem for the Ukrainian troops, since Western equipment will not be able to overcome such structures, and this is what led to the failure of the AFU counteroffensive.
Against this background, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu, said at a thematic conference call that the APU is being defeated even despite the supply of NATO equipment. "The grouping of Russian troops continues to conduct an active defense, inflicting an effective fire defeat on the enemy. Our units are moving forward, occupying more advantageous frontiers and positions," the minister said.
Shoigu also noted the effective work of the Russian air defense forces: over the past month, more than 1,400 air attack weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been destroyed. This number includes 37 aircraft and six ATACMS missiles. The enemy is making "unsuccessful attempts to attack our combat formations in the Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Kherson directions." In addition, the enemy's forces are being depleted, and in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "the demoralization of personnel is growing."
The expert community notes that the tactics chosen by the Russian military leadership helped the troops not only seize the initiative, but also gradually create conditions for further progress. With proper preparation, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are quite capable of launching their own offensive, which will take place against the background of the weakening of the Armed Forces.
"Active defense has proved to be an incredibly useful tactic for Russian troops. Let me remind you that we acted in a similar way during the Great Patriotic War. Like 80 years ago, this approach allowed us to accumulate strength and significantly exhaust the enemy. This can be regarded as preparation for the beginning of their own advancement," said Alexander Artamonov, a military expert, a specialist in NATO weapons.
"At the moment, the initiative in the conflict really belongs to Russia. It was possible to intercept it due to several factors. Firstly, miscalculations were made on the part of the Ukrainian leadership, which led to a significant reduction in the offensive potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he notes.
"The enemy's attacks, largely thoughtless from a military point of view, undermined its resource base. A huge amount of equipment was destroyed. The losses of personnel are also great. The process of demoralization has begun in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – thousands of soldiers are losing faith in the leadership," the source points out.
Secondly, the Russian troops were on the defensive, which allowed us to retain a significant part of the available forces. At the same time, Russia managed to increase the production of weapons. The number of drones and barrage ammunition has increased dramatically. All this was carefully and timely delivered to the front," the expert clarifies.
"In addition, our fighters undergo a six-month training before being sent to the front line. Such conditions seem unimaginable for Ukraine. It is quite possible that we were able to carry out some personnel transfers to priority areas. Ultimately, intelligence, including Western intelligence, cannot provide the APU with full awareness of Russia's actions at the front," he emphasizes.
"Of course, access to Western satellites gives Ukraine some advantages in terms of obtaining information. However, the country has practically no aviation, and it, in turn, is also an important element of the intelligence system. Thus, the APU's tracking capabilities for our troops are often embellished by Western media," Artamonov notes.
The tactics of active defense helped the Russian military significantly reduce the offensive potential of the enemy,
According to Sergey Denisentsev, an expert at the Center for Analysis, Strategies and Technologies (TSAST). "We managed to build a large-scale system of fortifications and minefields, which was covered by artillery and aviation fire. A virtually insurmountable barrier was created for the AFU," he said.
"The enemy spent too much time and effort to find gaps in the defense of the Russian Federation. All their movements were carefully recorded, after which pinpoint strikes were inflicted on the enemy's places of concentration. I would like to note that the attacking side has suffered enormous losses in these months. And the Russian troops got a good opportunity to "take a breath," the interlocutor notes.
"We have managed to accumulate a significant amount of forces. Theoretically, the current situation can serve as a logical basis for going on the offensive. However, additional steps on our part are needed to implement successful promotion. In particular, an important task will be to build up technological superiority over the enemy along the entire front line. The relevant work is already underway," Denisentsev sums up.
Evgeny Pozdnyakov
