, Columnist
Russian Army Looks Like the Soviet One: Charts of the Week
It’s disorganized, poorly supplied and badly led, but deadly nonetheless.
Putin’s bombs keep falling.
Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine continues, and the human costs are mounting.
As of Friday, the U.K.’s defense intelligence report stated that Russian forces had continued to make minimal progress this week. Maybe that’s surprising to you — after all, isn’t Russia one of the great military powers? James Stavridis, former commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, isn’t that surprised. He explains that rather than presenting as a sophisticated 21st-century army, Russia looks more like a blunt World War II-style force with three unresolvable issues: logistical failures, conscripted troops and bad generalship.