Russian Forces in Ukraine Read Wikipedia For information on weapons, use Maps 1960s: NYT

• A New York Times investigation described in detail Russia’s blunders when it launched its invasion of Ukraine.
• The Russian forces were woefully unprepared for the conflict, plagued by shortages of food and basic supplies.
• “Never in its history has Russia made such stupid decisions,” a retired Russian general told The New York Times.

From the start, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was riddled with strategic mistakes, with a military force that was unprepared for conflict and logistical issues that held the Kremlin back.

In an investigation by The New York Times elaboration The story of Russia’s failure throughout the conflict, that of the Russian 155th Marine Infantry Brigade is one of the clearest examples of the poor decision-making process that defined the invasion.

During the fighting, troops in the Marine Brigade lacked adequate food, maps, necessary medical supplies, or walkie-talkies, and were forced to wield 1970s-era Kalashnikovs—with some members having to use Wikipedia to locate instructions for their own. With the use of certain weapons – according to the report.

In interviews with The Times, several members of the brigade told the newspaper that some of the newly recruited military fighters had little experience with weapons and spoke of having too few bullets to use in combat.

At first, their leaders told the members they would not see combat, according to the report. But once they watched their comrades being killed around them as Ukrainian forces fired on them, they realized they had not been told the truth about their role in the conflict.

A Russian soldier named Mikhail—who in October witnessed the death of several of his comrades near the Ukrainian town of Pavlevka—told The Times that of the 60 members of his platoon, 40 were killed and only eight avoided serious injuries.

“This is not a war,” Mikhail told the newspaper from a hospital near Moscow. “It is the destruction of the Russian people by their leaders.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin demonstrated a high degree of confidence in the country’s military when he launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

But after nearly ten months, Russia was unable to defeat the Ukrainian army and found itself rejected and isolated from the West.

According to The Times, Putin “indulged in self-aggrandizement and anti-Western fervor,” leading him to decide to invade Ukraine “almost in complete isolation.”

According to The Times report, Russia’s invasion plans showed the military expected troops to march across Ukraine and take control of the country quickly, with instructions for officers to bring their uniforms and medals to military parades in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

According to the report, the Russian military, which was seen as a formidable force before the conflict, has in fact been “severely compromised” by long-standing corruption.

Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine relied on old maps — some from the 1960s — to navigate their way across the country, and many used their mobile phones to call numbers in Russia, allowing Ukrainian forces to locate and attack. The Times report also explained how some Russian pilots flew their planes as if they were not in danger.

In January, retired Russian general Leonid Ivashov, having seen reports of impending conflict, wrote an open letter stating that a full-scale war with Ukraine would jeopardize Russia’s “existence as a state.”

“Never in its history has Russia made such stupid decisions,” Ivashov told The Times during a recent phone interview. “Alas, today stupidity has triumphed – stupidity, greed, a kind of revenge, even a kind of malice.”

Dimitri S. noted. Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, pointed to the West’s intervention in assessing Russia’s many setbacks during the conflict.

“This is a huge burden for us,” he said, referring to NATO’s strong support for Ukraine. “It was very difficult to believe in such cynicism and bloodthirstiness on the part of the collective West.”

Since the conflict began, the Biden administration has continued to send advanced weapons to Ukraine, including high-speed and anti-radiation missiles.

As of November, the US has committed $66 billion in aid to Ukraine.