[June 5, 2022] The behavior of Russia’s leaders before and during this Ukraine War has been predictable. They do classic Russian kinetic warfare, better known as old-fashioned attrition warfare. Yet, every one of the West’s “experts” was wrong and often spectacularly wrong about what Russia would do in such a conflict.
The Soviet Union and now Russia’s method of winning a war is to violently crush the enemy with superior numbers, superior tactics, and the most brutal commanders they can manage to exert control over their troops. Military and civilian casualties are expected and are part of the battlefield. Russia loves the direct approach to warfare that was, at one time, common among European powers of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Much of this war by attrition is easily overlooked by the West because this method of warfare was long ago rejected as too costly. We consider every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine a valuable entity and should never be sacrificed brazenly in a campaign against the enemy. Of course, we could argue the merits of the Russian way of war, but it works, and it has proven a workable means of eliminating enemy forces. Moreover, the Russians know it works—no beating about the bush. Kill the enemy and do it now.
The Ukraine War is a brutish, nasty war. All wars appear on the outside to be brutish (and there is some argument for that way of thinking), but Russia conducts unusually harsh attrition warfare. Ukraine’s political leadership has a difficult choice. Surrender or keep fighting. The result of surrender will be to a country that does not value its citizens and is willing to sacrifice them on the altar of territorial expansion and the dreams of an empire. Alternatively, fight, meaning further destruction of their country and tens of thousands more killed.
Russia will give Ukraine no quarter, no relief whatsoever. That is the fundamental value of attrition warfare and the classic choice that Ukraine is forced to face each day. In 1940, Britain’s Neville Chamberlain faced a similar existential choice comparable to Ukraine’s Zelensky; oppose Hitler or appease him. Chamberlain’s appeasement seemed reasonable. This episode became a source of pride for the country of Britain because the Allies won the war. Such a victory was by no means certain at the time.
The Russian army’s initial blundering has slowed. There is now greater focus within its chain of command, and its army is performing better against Ukrainian forces. There are solid reasons for ending the war. But what will it be? The old-fashioned attrition warfare that we see here is running up against the values a Western nation holds so dear.
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Attrition warfare. Read about this in the history books. My teachers never talked about it when we studied history in school. Thanks.
Welcome Liz to my leadership blog.
For the rest of us who have lived in peace for our lives, we cannot even imagine what the Ukraine peoples have been going through in this war with Russia. When you live in “luxury” for so long, you become immune to reality.
Good point Eye Cat. Yes, we do require adversity to make our lives better.
Pray for the peoples of Ukraine. 😌🕯⛪
Gen. Satterfield, please continue to educate us and argue about the ideas coming from the Ukraine War. Frankly, I think it has exposed the weakness of Russia (despite its army finally getting its act together) and perhaps a fatal flaw in the communist party. China is also a real loser on the face of it but China will gain economically.
Adolf, i’m afraid you are right. Russia and Ukraine as countries are the losers. The Western governments will also spend millions. But China only grows stronger from it.
Wow, what a question? Will Zelensky be a Churchill (like he appears so far) or an appeasing Chamberlain?
Gen. Satterfield, I was wondering for a few days when you would be getting back to the Ukraine War and tell us a few lessons you see. The “West” has dragged its feet and not learned much from the war. Don’t believe me? Just look at the infantile statements coming out of America’s DOD. How stupid can you get.
Right, even my 11 year old can figure it out better than Gen. Milley (idiot and narcissist) or DoD Sec Def Austin (affirmative action hire). Two of the keystone cops are in charge. And the keystone cop of the year Joe Biden is leading it all.
Pow, Lady Hawk and Otto, you guys nailed it. 👍👍👍👍👍
Otto, you and I think a lot alike when it comes to our current military leaders. I only pray that those entering the military today are seeing the nutty crazies like Milley and Austin for what they are and challenge themselves to be true servants of our country and not suck ups like these two.
Excellent comments folks. Just another reason to read the leadership forum that Gen. Satterfield has so graciously figured into his leadership blog.
Excellent analysis of the war and comparison of Zelenski to the choice of Chamberlain or Churchill. Which will he chose?
Great question. Which British leader would he like to be known as for the future of civilization? The choice is surely no easy one. Like Britain, the outcome was not predetermined.
Good article as an update on the status of the Ukraine War. Thanks to Gen. Satterfield we are getting a bird’s eye view that says that there are always choices in war. And, those choices are often all bad.
Yes, Rev M. Cain, I agree this is a much better site to get what’s really happening than the news media. Here I’ve linked to a CNBC article. THey completely miss the point of the war by only reporting on the destruction going on and nothing about the strategy or messages the world is getting from the war. “Russia-Ukraine war hits 100th day; Putin meets with African Union leader over Ukraine’s blocked wheat exports”
Shallow reporting is the forte of the childish new media today. 👍
This has been the case since at least the 1960s and has gotten worse each decade. No surprise to those of us paying attention. The news media (aka the drive-thru media) has it’s collective backs to the wall of truth. What will they chose? I think I know the answer.