In Russia the war against Georgia is served as a triumph for the country’s armed forces. But Russian conscripts and analytics tells a different story than the official propaganda.
The Russian president did not hold back on the pompous rhetoric when he praised the Russian troops’ efforts in the war against Georgia a couple of days ago.
»The well executed, effective, and peacekeeping operation will stand among the most honorable in the history of the Russian military, « said Dmitrij Medvedev in a speech for some Russian soldiers on a barrack in southern Russia.
This is how the chorus has sounded on the state controlled television since the war began more than two week ago. The Russian force, who forced the Georgian army on its knees in four days is officially shown as evidence for the superiority of Russian military might, and as another sign of the country’s regained strength.
»We surpassed them in every possible way, « told a source from the general staff, when he on TV commented Russia’s actions against the inferior Georgian army.
In the few independent Russian media’s the glorious image of the military has rapidly begun to shatter. Russian journalist has followed in the tracks of the Russian tanks, tells a much less glorified story about the Russian war effort. Despite being denied from the officials, several Russian medias has reported that the generals deployed 18-year-old conscripts, who had no combat training, into battle with the Georgians.
The Kremlin-critical magazine »Vlast« followed a group of conscripts who were sent into battle without food, water, or medicine. The magazine tells about how the Russian vehicles broke down regularly and how the young Russian conscripts got lost because they didn’t have a decent map over the area they were supposed to attack. According to the magazine they weren’t even informed about being sent into combat.
»We did not believe that we really would need firearms. We thought it was a peacekeeping operation, « a wounded 18-year-old soldier told the magazine.
Even in the top of the Russian military staff the basic security procedures seems to lack. In a single embarrassing episode this lack nearly cost the life of the Russian commander in charge of all the military forces in the area, General Anatolij Khrulev.
Russian journalist where driving with the general into South Ossetia on the second day of the conflict. Of reasons unknown the Russian army’s key person travelled with light, inadequate protection and security. When the column was attacked by Georgian troops, the general was wounded in the leg and had apparently no other means of calling on reinforcements than to borrow a satellite phone from one of the Russian journalist.
This story was, among others, featured in the news paper »Komsomolskaja Pravda«.
Even though the Russian forces were victorious over the far smaller Georgian army, Russian analytics have pointed out that the war has exposed a number of weaknesses in the Russian army. The critique thereby brings back memories of Russia’s first war with Chechnya in the mid 1990’s, where the large numbers of civilian and military casualties have been linked to the poor military planning.
Precision that failed
Contrary to the war in Chechnya the Russians were rapid in security an overwhelming victory in Georgia by deploying hundreds of tanks and directed ‘precision’ airstrikes. However this came at a great price for both the civilians and the army.
According to Human Rights Watch at least 11 civilian Georgians where killed during Russia’s »precision bombing« of military installations in the city of Gori. The figure can be higher as numerous civilian flats and buildings where hit in the process. According to the Georgian authorities the total death toll is 213 Georgian civilians and soldiers. Russia is investigating alleged killings of 133 civilians which according to them were done by Georgian forces. Meanwhile 74 Russian soldiers have been reported killed in action.
The Russians have admitted that they had problems in acquiring precise targets for the Russian bombs.
»The first reconnaissance was difficult. We will introduce serious reforms on this lesson, « claimed the Russian general Anatolij Nogovitsyn.
Russia lost 4 bombers and had surprisingly poor intelligence on the Georgian positions.
If Russia’s goal with the war was to weaken the Georgian president, then the war does not look like a success.
»Georgian military losses were greater than Russia’s. But financially, politically, and morally Russia has lost far more than Georgia,« writes the commentator, Andrej Illarionov in the paper »Jesjodnjevnyj Sjurnal«.
Russia’s military triumph was overstated
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Originally Posted by .Czar
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ed the Georgian army upp, even when they were facing huge odds.
