Winning battles... Russian style.

[WarGamer]

People have referred to Russian "combat strategy" and how they disregard losses.

Let me whip out a shiny example.

It is 1943 in Kharkov, Ukraine.

There have been THREE previous battles here since 1941. The Germans took it and then got kicked out and then took it again.

So it's 1943 and the Russians decided to take Kharkov back for good this time.

The Russians brought to the party, 1.1 million men and 2400 tanks and 13k pieces of artillery.

The Germans stood there in Kharkov with 200,000 men and 200 tanks.

They fought like hell for 3 weeks until the Russians sent the Germans packing... permanently this time.

Losses:

Germans lost 10k soldiers with 16k wounded and 240 tanks.

Russians lost 80k soldiers with 184k wounded and lost 1800 tanks and 423 artillery pieces and 153 aircraft.
Sound familiar?

[Phoenix61]

1. So an invading country, Germany, cut their losses and ran. Got it. nt

[WarGamer]

2. the point is...

The Russians are careless with their manpower. Consistently through WW2 they were careless and it looks like that has carried over.

The US... in Iraq for example... would hold up a convoy for 2 hours because of a single sniper in a building and call in an A-10 strike.

We treat every combat life as precious.

[Gore1FL]

7. They were both invading countries

Ukraine wanted liberation then, too.

[WarGamer]

4. yikes...

[JHB]

5. Except this isn't like the 1943 situation, it's closer to a 1941 situation...

Leadership losses (for the Soviets, form Stalin's purges; now, through combat losses and Putin sacking generals) in a military with a very top-down command structure. Lower levels can't step up and carry on when a superior becomes a casualty because they don't know enough of the bigger picture.

Equipment problems: in 1941, from more advanced German tech and higher readiness. Now, from poor maintenance and budgetary neglect of support and supply forces.

And this time it's not Soviets defending their homeland against an invader. Today, Russia is the invader and it's the Ukranians doggedly defending.

Not to mention that the Soviets were receiving supplies and equipment from the US and Britain. Now it's the Ukraine getting that level of aid. If the Russians get assistance from China, India, or other palaces, it won't be anything close to the same scale.

[WarGamer]

6. all true... but I'm just pointing out the Russian strategy of sacrificing soldiers.

Seems like nothing has changed. They'll give up 10 to kill 1.