The Telegraph: Ukraine Has Forced Russia To Change Tactics It Has Fought For Centuries

The new approach did not bring the Russians success.

The Russian Armed Forces have almost completely abandoned the tactic of so-called "meat assaults," trying to deplete the Ukrainian defense with a numerical advantage. Instead, the Russians are increasingly using small sabotage and assault groups of two to four soldiers each, which try to stealthily infiltrate through AFU positions.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian army has lost about 1.3 million troops, of which about 325,000 were killed, The Telegraph.

The journalists noted that the development of technology has significantly changed the battlefield. Drones constantly patrol the front line and quickly detect large troop concentrations, while electronic warfare systems make it harder to coordinate attacks. The piece said that because of this, traditional "human waves" have become less effective.

An analyst of the Russia and Eurasia program at the British think tank Chatham House Keir Giles explained that the new Russian tactics are a reaction to the so-called "transparent battlefield," where any movements are quickly spotted using modern technology.

"Instead of large groups of Russian soldiers moving forward across open terrain like 'bullet sponges,' the current tactic involves slow, stealthy infiltration through gaps in Ukrainian positions on the front line," Giles explained.

According to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, Russian attacks in late April were mostly platoon-sized or even smaller groups. At the same time, Critical Threats Project analysts reported that such small groups of Russians are often detected and defeated by Ukrainian forces, but it can be difficult to completely stop their advance.

A senior analyst at the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation Anton Zemlyanoy said that the basis of the new tactics are small infantry groups that operate in pairs or small teams. Coordination takes place through the commanders of the assault groups, who keep in touch with the company or battalion command.

He said Russian command centers are actively using drones to correct the actions of such groups and transmit information about the movement of Ukrainian troops.

"These small groups are trying to avoid direct combat and instead bypass the Ukrainian fortifications, penetrating deeper into the defensive lines," Zemlyannoy noted.

The authors of the material emphasized that after infiltrating between Ukrainian positions, these groups entrench themselves in abandoned buildings, plantations or shell craters and wait for reinforcements. The goal of such actions is not an instant assault, but to threaten Ukrainian positions from unexpected directions.

At the same time, even the new approach does not guarantee the Russians success. According to Zemlyanyy, the survival rate of such groups remains low.

"Even when some fighters manage to infiltrate, they are usually detected and destroyed by drones or eliminated by Ukrainian units. It is impossible to break through the defenses of such groups. Only a slow, creeping offensive is possible, which leads to very limited territorial gains at the cost of heavy losses per square kilometer," Zemlyanoy emphasized.

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