1.5 million army and a new plan: what Putin and Shoigu are up to
The Kremlin announced plans to expand the Russian army and told how they will fight against Ukraine. Russia, in particular, plans to increase its own army to 1.5 million people. However, the "cunning plan" of the Russian command will not be so easy to implement.
On December 21, Putin spoke at an expanded board of the Russian Defense Ministry. Of course, the main topic was the war against Ukraine and plans for the development of the Russian army. Channel 24 analyzed the main statements and decisions of the head of the Kremlin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The New York Times, in its longread of December 16 about the Russian invasion, told many interesting details that shed light on the secret mechanisms of the war.
In particular, journalists learned details of the November conversation in Ankara between the Russian head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Naryshkin and the head of the CIA William Burns. Then Putin's subordinate said that despite the stinging defeats Russia would not give up and would continue the war, regardless of losses, that is, literally fight to the last Russian.
Continue the special military operation until the tasks are completed,
- Shoigu said at a board meeting on December 21 about plans for 2023.
The main result of the event was the actual recognition of their own mistakes and the announcement of a new military reform in Russia - the third during Putin's rule. First, there were Serdyukov's reforms aimed at transforming the giant conscript Soviet army into a compact and contract army, with the elimination of divisions and the formation of brigades.
Then there was a hybrid rollback, and now there is an actual return to the Soviet concept of creating a militia - a large mass of disposable soldiers on disposable tanks and with disposable assault rifles. Actually, we are already witnessing this process in the war against Ukraine, where the example of Shoigu's reform is the "mobics", which serve as cannon fodder.
What Shoigu offers
Increase the army from the nominal 1,150,000 thousand by 350,000 thousand people at once (or 490,000, if we count from February 24, 2022), that is, up to 1,500,000 soldiers.
Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 24/12/2022
