Colonel Khodarenok: Zaluzhny offered Ukraine to the West as a training ground
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ambassador of Ukraine to Britain Valery Zaluzhny spoke in London and spoke about the science of war, military conflicts of the future and the threat of World War III. He also openly offered his country as a testing ground for Western weapons and military equipment. Why Zaluzhny's speech does not draw on the report of the ex-commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and as the ambassador of Ukraine in London contradicts Zelensky's line - in the material of the military observer of the Newspaper.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.
A military commander or a political scientist?
Even with a cursory glance at the report of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, Valery Zaluzhny, it is very difficult to say in what role he plays at the Royal United Institute for Defense Studies (RoyalUnited Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, RUSI). Almost immediately, questions arise about how to interpret Zaluzhny's report - whether it is a speech by the ex-commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, or a speech by the head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission, or an average political scientist voiced his theses on the rostrum of RUSI.
We should immediately note that Zaluzhny's speech does not pull at the report of the ex-commander-in-chief. In this case, he would talk about strategy and operational art, tactics, the theory of types of support (operational, technical and logistical), the problems of recruiting the armed forces, the creation of reserves and reserves.
In other words, he had to focus on analyzing the strategic nature of the armed struggle, trends in its change, identifying patterns and methods of conducting operations, combat operations, and command and control of troops and forces.
For example, the general said: "Modern wars, unfortunately, are total in nature. They require the efforts not only of the army, but also of society as a whole. Politicians can and should mobilize society. For this purpose, military and other state resources are fully involved. These resources include the economy, finance, population, and allies."
What is this, if not a statement from the category "Volga flows into the Caspian Sea"?
According to the classical provisions of military science (and this has been known since the Trojan War), conducting an armed struggle requires maximum tension of the military, economic capabilities of the country and the moral forces of the people. The preparation of the country and the armed forces for war is a complex and continuous process associated with solving a wide range of political, economic, military and strategic issues in the interests of ensuring the country's defense capability. That is, Zaluzhny could have said that. But, apparently, at one time the general did not gnaw with excellent diligence the granite of military science.
Dangerous misconceptions of Zaluzhny
"War is a science. Science with its own laws and rules that need to be known and studied," Zaluzhny said in his speech.
On the one hand, this is another banality, and on the other - a very, very dangerous misconception that can lead to extremely tragic consequences. Science can only be considered preparation for war, but its conduct belongs to art. You can have all the necessary knowledge and skills, but if a military leader does not have what is commonly called character or will, better to say, fortitude and military energy, then such commanders, guided by ready-made formulas set out in textbooks, usually have bits in battles.
And Valery Zaluzhny with his summer offensive operation in 2023 is another example of this. That is, rumors about some bright generalship talents of this general seem to be greatly exaggerated.
Zaluzhny said: "It is likely that these changes, which were invented on the battlefields of the Russian-Ukrainian war, will define the contours of wars and military art in the 21st century."
More platitudes. As you know, the experience gained during any armed confrontation is carefully analyzed and studied by all interested parties. But here it is necessary to always remember that any major war represents a separate epoch in the development of military art. And the most important thing in this area is not to prepare for the war that has already passed.
Of course, the experience of the armed conflict in Ukraine will be taken into account by all the armies of the leading states, but the scope for the entire 21st century is probably still somewhat premature. It is better to say this: the experience of the armed confrontation in Ukraine will soon be taken into account in the construction and combat use of the armed forces.
"At the same time, I absolutely agree that the Russian-Ukrainian war is not yet the war of the future. It's just a war of transition. But it is our war that forms the new rules. We Ukrainians, with our blood and thirst for victory, are forming new models of a new war," Zaluzhny continued.
Note that at least two sides are still involved in the war. And not only Ukrainians are "forming new models of a new war." As for the war of the transition period, this can be said with certainty only after the completion of several future wars. That is, it is still somewhat premature to talk about what specific impact the conflict in Ukraine will have on the contours of the future of armed struggle.
Testing ground
"On the other hand, our partners have resources, but there is no applied and practical field for testing them. Only together will we be able to use this resource effectively, because time no longer works for us," the ex-commander-in-chief said in the last part of his speech.
"If we consider technologies as resources, then today, for various reasons, neither Ukraine nor Russia will be able to master them independently in the near future. This means that the only way out may be to increase the number of human resources involved in the fighting," Zaluzhny also said.
On the one hand, that's right, as you know, there are no extra battalions on the battlefield. On the other hand, Ukraine's mobilization resource is far from unlimited. And in this regard, it is possible to easily bring the country to a demographic catastrophe, which has already been repeatedly mentioned in various sources of the Paraguayan version. And there will simply be no one to carry out the construction of a new post-war Ukraine.
The general claims that "a new stage has actually begun in the forms and methods of warfare," and "scientific and technological progress has set in motion the wheel of history and brought to the battlefield technologies that are likely to be crucial in this war and, most importantly, will become the basis of global security of the future."
But this has always been the case in world history. And during the Crimean War, during the First and Second World Wars, and during all other armed conflicts. And it has never been any other way.
His report is more of a political science nature, rather than a collection of provisions encouraging new approaches in military construction and combat use of the armed forces.
In addition, the general's speech is still somewhat at odds with the latest peace initiatives of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky: the general does not mention them at all in his report, but as an ambassador, he must adhere to the general line of the leadership of his state. His speech boils down to the following: give weapons, give resources, please, here is our national territory for you as a training ground, "otherwise we will all die."
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
