Decomposed > Actually, the author's main point is that "After 500 days, the Russian army appears to be finally getting its act together."
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Zim : Just how does the Russian Army 'get it's act together' without a cadre of trained and experienced officers?
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Leader Loss: Russian Junior Officer Casualties
http://cepa.org/article/leader-loss-russian-junior-officer-casualties-in-ukraine/
December 23, 2022
Russian losses in the Ukraine war have been very high, but the deaths of junior officers are especially painful and so too are the strategic consequences.
It is easy, with the passage of time, to forget just how enervating is the loss of tactical leaders in large-scale combat operations. In Vietnam, one out of eight US service personnel killed in action (KIA) was an officer — the vast majority second lieutenants to captains — who led platoons and companies.
Open-source researchers at Killed in Ukraine have confirmed 800-plus Russian senior lieutenants and captains KIA. When the loss of wounded in action (WIA) is added, it is likely that half of all competent ground-fighting company commanders in the Russian force in Ukraine are either KIA or WIA. Russia may be running out of missiles, but these can be bought and manufactured; what they are more certainly lacking is able tactical leaders.
Why does this matter? First, tactical leaders are essential to execute combined arms, and company commanders lead the fight by synchronizing fires, movement, and supporting units. A company commander is also the highest-level officer who knows each soldier in their unit, and can drive the execution of a mission by his presence. This matters to the Russian army. Motivation and the will to fight have deteriorated over time.
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(Article does continue. Zim.)
Mad Poet Strikes Again.
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