How Ukraine stands still after a month in the war against Russia

Posted on 25th Mar 2022 by rohit kumar

It's been a month since Russia's attack on Ukraine. In this fight so far, Ukraine has overcome many obstacles.

 

Despite being far behind Russia in every other figure including tanks, army, aircraft, ordinary citizens of Ukraine strengthened the army. In many places, he also fought with Russian soldiers.

 

Ukraine has lost many parts, especially the area around Crimea. Crimea was occupied by Russia in the year 2014 itself.

 

Russia's real objective in the current attack was the quick capture of Ukraine's capital Kyiv and other major cities and the resignation of the government, but Russia has failed in this objective.

 

The dice may still turn against Ukraine. Ukraine's army is facing a shortage of weapons like anti-tank, anti-aircraft missiles, which are necessary to stop the ever-increasing Russian army.

 

Soldiers in the eastern part of Ukraine are in danger of being surrounded and killed. At the same time, a quarter of the country's population has left their homes, those who remain are watching their city turn barren due to Russian weapons and bombing.

 

Despite all these factors, the Ukrainian army is performing better than the Russian army on many levels in the war.

 

This week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby praised Ukraine for its clever, agile, and creative ways of protecting different parts of the country.

 

In such a situation, it is important to know what is the secret of Ukraine's success?

 

1. Full of inspiration

 

There is a big difference in the morale of the armies of both Russia and Ukraine. The people of Ukraine are fighting for the survival of their country, they want to keep seeing their country as a sovereign nation.

 

Just before the start of the war, Putin said in his speech that Ukraine was just an artificial Russian creation.

 

The people of Ukraine stand with their government and the President. This is the reason that even ordinary citizens who have no military experience are ready to take up arms and protect their cities and towns. That too at a time when they are faced with heavy firing from the Russian side.

 

Brigadier Tom Fox, who served 35 years as a British Army officer in Germany during the Cold War, says, "This is how people fight for their existence. This is how they protect their motherland and family. His courage is both spectacular and shocking.

 

On the other hand, if we talk about Russia, on the contrary, most of the Russians are young people who have just passed out from Sainik School. He thought that he was just going on an exercise and now he is confused to find himself in a war zone.

 

Most Russian soldiers were either unprepared or had little experience in this type of battle. In such a situation, news like shortage of food, and looting is coming out.

 

2. Command and Control

 

It was estimated that Ukraine's communications systems would be destroyed due to Russian cyberattacks, but this did not happen. Instead, Ukraine has managed to maintain effective coordination on the war front.

 

The government of Ukraine seems to be active in Kyiv and is also under constant surveillance.

 

At the same time, the Russian army does not have any kind of unified leadership. There is also a lack of coordination between the different war fronts. This is expected to hurt the morale of Russian soldiers.

 

It is believed that at least five Russian generals died because they came too close to the battlefront to save the soldiers from being trapped.

 

There are non-commissioned officers (NCOs), such as soldiers of the rank of corporal and sergeant, they cannot take any initiative according to the rules of Russia, all junior rank soldiers have to wait for orders from above.

 

Military expert Professor Michael Clarke of King's College London says Russian NCOs are surrounded by corruption and inefficiency.

 

Also Read: 30th day of the attack on Ukraine NATO's entry in the war for the first time, Biden said in the summit - if Russia uses chemical weapons, we will not answer Ukraine

 

3. Better use of soldiers and weapons in war

 

Ukraine's soldiers are far less in number than Russian soldiers, but even then they are using land and their weapons better than Russia.

 

On one side is Russia which keeps soldiers and military vehicles in queues. At a slow pace, they move forward together, while on the other hand, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting a guerrilla war.

 

They are following a 'hit and run policy, they secretly fire anti-tank missiles and leave before Russia can retaliate.

 

Before this fight, NATO trainers from the US, UK, and Canada have spent a long time in Ukraine. In such a situation, he has instructed the Ukrainian soldiers to accelerate the defensive war and make better use of the missile system. Like how to use Javelin and Swedish designed NLAW anti-tank weapons or how to use entry-aircraft missiles.

 

"Ukrainian soldiers are smarter than Russian soldiers," says Professor Clarke. The soldiers just couldn't.

 

Another military strategist, Justin Crump, says Ukrainian soldiers are adept at spotting and inflicting strong blows on the Russian military's weak points.

 

"Ukraine has used highly effective tactics," he says, including attacking Russia's weak links, such as attacking supply convoys. Apart from this, NATO weapons have also been used very well from Ukraine for accurate and more effective targeting.

 

It is difficult to get the exact figure of casualties at this time. According to Pentagon figures, 7000 Russian soldiers have lost their lives. This number is coming out only after a month of the war. This is half the number of people killed by the Soviet Union in the 10-year war in Afghanistan.

 

As for how so many Russian generals were killed on the front line, Brigadier Tom Fox argues, "It sounds to me like a highly successful sniper campaign, deliberately launched, that may have crippled the Russian command structure."

 

4. 'War' on the Information Front

 

And finally, there was talk of war on the information front. Ukraine seems to be winning on this front all over the world. However, not in Russia because the Kremlin controls most of the media here.

 

Justin Crump says, "Ukraine has made tremendous use of the information sector to gain an edge both domestically and globally."

 

"The Ukrainian government has successfully controlled the war narrative across the globe," says Dr. Ruth Deirmond, Senior Lecturer in Post-Soviet Studies at King's College London. What this struggle has done for Ukraine's international reputation is remarkable.

 

But, at present, even a month's struggle for life and death is not enough to get Ukraine out of the war. The presence of Russian troops in large numbers is not in favor of Ukraine. If in any case, the supply of weapons from the West stops, then Ukraine will not be able to stand before Russia for long.