Why Russian invasion of Ukraine was something else than it should?

Above: Antonov An-22 heavy transport aircraft plays a vital role in the Russian military. Heavy transporters' primary role is that they can carry paratroopers to capture some airfields. Then the same planes can bring tanks, artillery, and men for creating another front behind the enemy back. 

The idea of this tactic is this: Russian forces are taking enemy troops between two main groups.  Then Russians would destroy their enemy by using mortars, tanks, and artillery. 

Putin planned that the Russian invasion and Ukraine occupation would be a good demonstration of the skills of the modern Russian military. The invasion was planned as a short-term military action against Ukraine. And then something went wrong. 

The key element in the Russian military tactics is the cooperation between tank corpses and VDV (Airborne Assault troops). The idea is that when the Russian main force attacks from the front the paratroopers attack to back of the troops and conquer some airfields. Then cargo planes bring tanks and other equipment to the back of the enemy troops. So the idea of this tactic is that the enemies of the Russian army are on two fronts. And Russian military can attack from two sides. 

The Russian plan was probably to destroy the Ukrainian main force. That would defend the area between the Russian border and Kyiv. The idea was that the Kyiv airport captured by VDV and the heavy artillery along with tank corpses and motorized infantry would crush the Ukrainian troops that location is between those groups. 

The airport would be the base, where the Russian military brings tanks and other equipment. If that plan was successful the Russian military would crush the Ukrainian army in one single battle. But then something happened. VDV fail in its mission. And the Ukrainian back was secured. 

Then the Ukrainians got some impressive victories. Because Ukraine didn't fall in 36 hours the Russian plans were ineffective. The idea of the service of this operation was that Russian troops would get their food from supermarkets.  Only ammunition and fuel were in the convoys that followed the main battle units. 

Those mainly unprotected vehicles are good targets for Bayraktar-drones. And Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft. Russians didn't expect that the Ukrainian air force can operate against them. They expected that the captured airfields eliminates the threat of the Ukrainian air force. So those troops didn't have anti-aircraft equipment.

And also, the Western military aid to Ukraine was a surprise. Russian leaders believed that their nuclear arsenal makes Western nations afraid. And Russian gas would be a good tool for buying sympathy from the Western nations. So stick and carrot was the method that Russians planned to use on Western nations. The carrot was cheap energy. And the stick was the threat of military actions. 

The thing that caused more casualties is probably that the Russian headquarters didn't know that the prime element of this kind of military operation fail. Without the success of the VDV, the Russians couldn't build another front behind Ukrainian lines. When the war is prolonged the nations must say something. 

The leaders of the Western nations couldn't just stand. Because the resistance continues that thing will encourage Western nations to give more and more military aid to Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused fear that similar action can happen to anybody. 

Image: https://aircraft.fandom.com/wiki/Antonov_An-22

The Institute of Study of War (ISW) tells that Russia wastes its power in meaningless battles.

Su-25 "Frogfoot"

Why Russians are wasting their power? The fact is that two things can explain why Russians are fighting in meaningless areas, wasting their power and causing casualties. The first thing is that the Russian military is following the original battle plan without caring about casualties. And Russians might think that some area is important to them. But Ukrainians or Western observers think that the areas have no meaning in the war. 

There is the possibility that the Russian military makes its casualties on purpose. The Russian government promised over 8000 euros price for recruiting to the war. And if those soldiers die, they must not pay that money. But another reason why Russian waste its power in meaningless areas like small towns can be in defense tactics of the Ukrainian army. There is a possibility that the Ukrainian army makes "unnecessary-looking" hard resistance in the small towns and countryside.

That kind of tactic when the defender wants to make a series of resistance battles is effective against an army that uses massive firepower. If the Ukrainian military will try to hit Russian troops in one battle by using the tactics where a large group of troops faces the Russians in one solution battle. That causes the ultimate loss for Ukrainians. 

The major part of the Russian tactics is maybe that the Russian main force faces the Ukrainian main forces in an open field battle. In that battle, Russians would use the TOS- mortars, thermobaric explosives, and other kinds of stuff. The idea is that if the Ukrainians are using the fixed combat positions the Russian recon planes will locate those positions. And then the defender will be bombed away by using air force and heavy artillery. 

Attacks before a big solution battle are meant to cause casualties for the attacker and leave it without ammunition or some systems. The loss of tanks, heavy artillery, and mortars force Russians to order those systems from Russia. 

And spend its force. In this kind of tactic, the idea is that the defender will destroy some vehicles and other units. And then step backward. If the defender can destroy the force of the attacker before the main battle, it cannot use all its weapons that are meant for that battle. The Russian tactics like massive, but non-accurate firepower favors the single battle tactics. 

The idea is that the Russian military will crush the enemy in one single battle where it can use its mortars and all its firepower. So one of the best counter-tactic is to try to force the enemy into warfare where the attacker must use unduly firepower. So this is one variation of the "Hit and run" tactics. 

When Russian TOS rocket launchers and heavy artillery comes into place those systems will target HiMARS or Ukrainian Howitzers. And then those systems are destroyed. Also, combat helicopters and attack aircraft can destroy convoys, especially at night time. And those attacks destroy the combat vehicles or support. And if the fuel trucks or ammunition carriers are destroyed the troops are left without equipment. And that thing slows the advancing. 

Image: https://worldinconflict.fandom.com/wiki/Su-25_Frogfoot

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