Author: Blazingcatfur

Apart from its political impact on the international order, the war that Russia has launched against Ukraine contains countless features that should interest military analysts and planners across the globe.

This is the first time since World War II that the Russian Army (formerly Soviet Red Army) is tested on the battlefield against a medium-sized adversary in a classical war.

In the 1950s, the Red Army fought border wars with Communist China and managed to annex large chunks of territory across the border. But that was not a full-scale war, as a much weaker China, then also devoid of nuclear weapons, shied away from fighting back in a meaningful way.

#Ukraine: Accurate Ukrainian fire damaging 2x T-72B3 tanks as well as hitting pro-Russian positions somewhere in the East. pic.twitter.com/nmTcj6RZkH

— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 3, 2022

Uniforms are one of the most deceptive trappings of military culture. They suggest uniformity but it is often said of the British army that if two officers look the same, one must be improperly dressed. Armies, and especially professional armies, are more often warring tribes of subcultures, and for commanders it is critical to understand how those cultures interact if the force is to be employed effectively in battle.

When it comes to Russian military culture, the Russian army has been through a period of significant change, with constant modernisation since 2008. The Soviet Union fielded an army of more than 3.5 million soldiers in 1991. The Soviet army was largely a conscript force and lacked an experienced noncommissioned officer corps. This meant that Soviet units had to be treated with a degree of uniformity, since the personnel rotated so frequently that most line units were necessarily commanded using set formulas that formed the basis for unit training.

#Ukraine: The Ukrainian sources claim that the Russian jet was shot down near Izium, #Kharkiv Oblast. We believe the shown jet is a Russian Su-30SM fighter. pic.twitter.com/lFQYvcGoTA

— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 3, 2022

Two Russian soldiers have died and 28 are in hospital after being POISONED by pastry delicacies offered to them by civilians near besieged Kharkiv, according to the Ukraine Ministry of Defence

Russian troops near Kharkiv died after eating poisoned stuffed buns given to them as ‘gifts’ by Ukrainian citizens, a Ukrainian intelligence agency has claimed.

Two soldiers from the 3rd Motor Rifle Division died immediately after eating the delicacies served by the citizens of Izium, a Facebook post by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine announced on Saturday.

Another 28 Russian troops are in intensive care after the poisoning with several hundred others also suffering from ‘severe illnesses’ after drinking poisoned alcohol given to them by civilians.