The Unprofessional Russian Soldier
In his commentary for the
Royal Institute for International Relations, Joris Van Bladel ascribes the Russian army’s struggles to it being simultaneously too big and too small. It is too big to train appropriately, and this emphasizes material above human capital, firepower above manpower, and mass above precision. Yet it is too small to match the ambition that goes with Russia’s great power obsession. As a result, the Russian army is still a force in the making, showing varying levels of combat readiness. Only 20 percent answer a call of duty whenever soldiers are called for military service, while 80 percent adopt legal and illegal strategies to dodge the draft. Despite this, the military still enjoys the highest status and trust in Russian society.
https://www.egmontinstitute.be/the-unprofessional-russian-soldier/
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