Russia-Ukraine War Lesson: Russian Army Qualitative Renewal

The Russian Defense Ministry is starting a qualitative renewal of the armed forces, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on January 10.

In particular, it is planned to expand the arsenal of modern strike weapons, improve UAVs, communications equipment, equipment for military personnel and the operation of aircraft in the coverage area of modern air defense systems.

Experts note that any military operation reveals the shortcomings of the armed forces and encourages work on the mistakes.

In the NVO zone on January 10, the Russian Armed Forces continued their offensive in the Donetsk direction and shot down three Ukrainian attack aircraft.

Expanding the arsenal

The Russian Ministry of Defense will have to take “exhaustive measures for the qualitative renewal of the armed forces” and increase their combat capabilities, the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, said on January 10 at the first thematic conference call this year. The minister said that the RF Armed Forces would soon expand their arsenal of strike weapons.

The Ministry of Defense, according to him, will also pay attention to improving the combat capabilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces – both in terms of the operation of fighters and bombers in the area of operation of modern air defense systems, and in terms of improving unmanned aerial vehicles.

“We need to constantly analyze and systematize the experience of our groups in Ukraine and Syria, and draw up training programs for personnel and plans for the supply of military equipment on its basis ,” he said.

The practice gained by our troops should become the basis for improving combat training, he also stressed.

The Ministry of Defense in the shortest possible time will have to finalize the equipment and tactical equipment of personnel to the highest level.

“Everything that a fighter needs should be modern, convenient and reliable,” Sergei Shoigu emphasized.

The Minister also stated the need to improve the management and communication system, the renewal of which will actively use artificial intelligence technologies.

It is planned to digitize databases in military commissariats. In addition, they will have to establish interaction with local and regional authorities, as well as industry, and update the system of organizing civil and territorial defense. The mechanism for responding to civil initiatives will also be improved.

In addition, Shoigu said that Russia would continue to develop the nuclear triad.

“The nuclear shield has been and remains the main guarantor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state,” the head of the military department explained.

More “Tornado”

Any military operation reveals the shortcomings of the armed forces , says military expert Alexei Leonkov.

— Even small flaws immediately become visible, and they need to be corrected. It’s inevitable,” he said. – It is no coincidence that they say that the army is always preparing for the last war. During hostilities, the enemy uses new approaches, we adapt, respond to these challenges: we change tactics, use new weapons.

The expert noted that the SVO helped to identify many shortcomings related to mobilization, equipment, supply and issuance of new weapons.

• By default, it was believed that everything should be fine with mobilizations and equipment, but it turned out that we were empty somewhere, and thick somewhere. Now this mechanism will have to be debugged, everything will have to be brought to a common denominator,” he believes.

The reserves that are being prepared now must be equipped with modern weapons, including strike weapons, military expert Vasily Dandykin said.

“More advanced multiple launch rocket systems will come to the troops, ” he believes. – There will be more MLRS of the Tornado family. They are already in use. These are, of course, drones. And not only reconnaissance, but, perhaps, shock. There have been significant advances in this direction over the past year. Of course, these are tanks, including the T-90M, which perform well on the battlefield.

According to the expert, the troops also need to be provided with modern means of protection and small arms.

• A very important point is modern means of communication. They need to be equipped with everyone – from a specific fighter to a formation , – he noted. – Guided munitions are needed, which allow not to spend a dozen shells where one can solve the problem.

And so on all types of weapons. In any case, all our systems have a great potential for modernization. This also applies to heavy flamethrower systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles of various properties.

The expert does not rule out that heavier unmanned vehicles of the Okhotnik type, which is being tested, will also be involved.

“Rooks” did not fly

On January 10, the Ministry of Defense told the details of the battles with Ukrainian formations in the zone of the special operation.

• In the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops inflicted artillery strikes on the accumulations of manpower of the 14th mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Timkovka and Ivanovka, Kharkiv region.

Up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, an armored combat vehicle and four vehicles were destroyed, – said the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.

In the Krasnolimansky direction, units of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade of the VFU and the 103rd Terodefense Brigade were defeated. Losses of Ukrainian formations per day amounted to more than 40 servicemen killed and wounded, an armored personnel carrier and three pickup trucks.

In the Donetsk direction , during successful offensive operations, units of the 57th and 59th motorized infantry brigades of the VFU were defeated, up to 50 military personnel, one tank, two armored combat vehicles and four vehicles were destroyed.

More than 20 Ukrainian servicemen and three pickup trucks were destroyed in the South-Donetsk direction in a day.

The operational-tactical, army aviation, rocket troops and artillery of Russia hit two depots of missile and artillery weapons of the 53rd mechanized brigade of the VFU and the 108th brigade of the territorial defense, as well as 62 artillery units of the VFU in firing positions and 105 areas of concentration of troops.

In the course of a counter-battery fight, two US -made M777 artillery systems were destroyed in firing positions, four Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery mounts , three D-20 towed howitzers, two Grad multiple rocket launchers, and a Uragan MLRS combat vehicle were destroyed in a day. .

In addition, two US-made counter-battery radars AN/TPQ-50 and AN/TPQ-36 were destroyed.

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down three Su-25 Grach attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the areas of the settlements of Yasenevoye, Pushkino and Maksimilyanovka in the DPR. Russian air defense shot down 10 Ukrainian drones in a day.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 370 aircraft, 200 helicopters, 2,866 unmanned aerial vehicles, 400 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,465 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 975 combat vehicles of multiple launch rocket systems, 3,802 field artillery pieces and mortars, as well as 7,992 units of special military vehicles, listed Igor Konashenkov.

surprise attack

The Russian Defense Ministry spoke about the military personnel who showed courage and selflessness in battles.

The battalion tactical group of Sergeant Ivan Anisimov was defending the area when the enemy attacked the platoon stronghold.

Reflecting the attack, Ivan, as part of the calculation of an infantry fighting vehicle, destroyed the vehicle, as well as a large number of militants, with aimed fire. The enemy, having received a resolute rebuff and having suffered losses, retreated.

A group of private Rinat Basharov guarded a column of special and military equipment. In the forest belt, Rinat discovered an armed group of Ukrainian saboteurs and, using the effect of surprise, attacked the militants.

During the clash with aimed fire, he destroyed two militants. As a result, the VFU unit left its positions and retreated.

The bold and decisive actions of Private Rinat Basharov made it possible to lead a convoy of equipment to a given area without loss, the military department said.

• IZ