Strategies of Sacrifice: Russian Military Tactics in Ukraine Revealed
In the Russian military, soldiers are classified into those deemed less useful and those considered more useful.
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Piotr Mitkiewicz enlisted in the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine in May 2022. Speaking to RMF FM, he shared insights into the grim reality of war, focusing on the strategy behind Russian assaults.
In the Russian army, a distinction is made between less and more useful soldiers. During an assault, the less useful ones are deployed first, led by a competent soldier who withdraws midway, while the others don’t return. Next, a second wave follows, featuring three superior soldiers who might survive. Once Ukrainian positions are identified and their coordinates known, the artillery is activated. Only then does an exceptionally trained soldier proceed, Mitkiewicz explained.
The poorly equipped Russian soldiers, used essentially as cannon fodder, are given merely four magazines of ammunition each. Mitkiewicz noted that such an allotment is rapidly exhausted, typically within a minute of combat. With such limited resources, these soldiers cannot effectively advance but merely retreat—if they make it back at all. It's a form of combat reconnaissance. In contrast, our frontlines are manned by the most motivated and bravest soldiers, he clarified.
"Brave souls fighting to the last breath"
Mitkiewicz acknowledges the courage of Russian soldiers, describing them as brave individuals who fight to the very end.
Expressing a yearning for peace, he dreams of direct dialogue with Russians. - I wish to sit down with someone, journey by train, engage in conversations, and look into their eyes to see if we can find our shared humanity. The desire for peace is strong. I cannot bear to lose more friends, he stressed.
