Russian army relies on infantry for assaults due to manpower, military equipment losses

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported the information.

It noted that on November 11, a military blogger emphasized that "the Russian practice of conducting tactical assaults intended to storm Ukrainian fortified positions in forest areas of Donbas will not translate into a wider operational breakthrough anywhere on the front." He noted that there is currently no way to train enough Russian personnel for the intensive frontline offensive needed to make a significant advance in Ukraine.

Another military blogger responded by claiming that the Russian military is about to experience a "real renaissance of infantry combat" as fewer tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and armored personnel carriers (APCs) are deployed near the front line.

The first military blogger responded to the comment about the "revival of infantry" and noted that this observation is a negative reflection of the loss of Russian equipment and poor coordination on the front lines, which has led to a reliance on assault tactics.

In addition, analysts noted that a Telegram channel associated with Russian special forces also complained that the reliance on infantry-led frontline attacks was harming all special forces units stationed in Ukraine. They say that special forces are not designed to conduct infantry-led assaults like standard Russian motorized infantry, and some Russian sources are clearly frustrated with the consequences of misusing such special forces elements.

"ISW has previously observed that Russian forces are increasingly relying on such infantry-led frontal assaults, likely to compensate for a lack of adequately trained personnel and due to widespread equipment losses. IThe Russian General Staff appears to be relying heavily on frontal assaults as the predominant tactic in Ukraine as an important part of the Russian solution to the problems of ‘military parity,’” the Institute's analysts said.

• Last week, British intelligence reported that over the past three weeks, Russia may have lost about 200 armored vehicles during its attacks on Avdiivka, Donetsk region.