UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 317 - JANUARY 4, 2023

The Russian Milblogger Information Space continues to use official reactions to the Ukrainian HIMARS attack on a Russian base in Makiivka to criticize endemic problems in the Russian military apparatus.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) released an official response to the attack on January 4, attributing it to the "presence and improper mass use of mobile phones within range of enemy weapon systems by personnel". The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated that the death toll from the attack had risen to 89, including a deputy regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Bachurin.

The clear attempt by the Russian Ministry of Defense to blame individual mobilized soldiers for the attack, as assessed likely by the ISW on January 2, immediately sparked outrage among Russian Milbloggers. One Milblogger emphasized that it was "extremely wrong to blame cell phones for the strikes" and concluded that "it is not the cell phones and their owners at fault, but the negligence of the commanders." Several Milbloggers pointed out that the use of cell phones at the front in the 21st century is inevitable and that efforts to restrict their use are futile. The criticism by Milbloggers of the Russian Ministry of Defense largely focused on the incompetence of the Russian military leadership. Many claimed that the Russian military leadership lacks understanding of the basic realities facing Russian soldiers on the front and attempts to shift the blame for their own leadership failures onto the "faceless mass" of mobilized Russian recruits.

The complete Russian Offensive Update 317 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR online