1/ 'HELL NO WE WON'T GO', part 4: what can be done to make going to war more attractive for increasingly sceptical Russians? ⬇️
2/ Russian warblogger Alex Kartavykh received thousands of responses to his question of why his followers are "still not storming Pokrovsk". The first thread in this series summarises what respondents gave as their reasons for not joining the army: https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/stat...
3/ The second part highlights representative examples collated by Kartavykh into a number of categories. https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/stat...
4/ In the third instalment, Kartavykh analyses the themes and trends behind the comments, and draws a number of conclusions. https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/stat...
5/ In this thread, Kartavykh gives what he calls a number of "constructive proposals" that the Russian authorities to take to improve recruitment. It's doubtful that any of this would happen, though, as it would require military structures and attitudes to change drastically:
6/ "Constructive proposals: • Transparent and fixed contracts: refusal of automatic renewal; option of smaller bonuses in exchange for a strictly fixed term; "honest" communication of conditions (regional cases, where the campaign was built in a humane manner).
7/ "• Guarantees of service in a specialism (VUS): protection of UAV/EW/communications operators and technicians from "dissolving" in assaults; securing positions when transferring mobilised personnel to a contract.
8/ "• Reforming training with a focus on the "small sky" [low altitudes]: mass anti-drone training; integration of EW/SIGINT/"drone operators"; targeted fire/tactical training against UAVs.
9/ "• Provision and reduction of "cashback from personal salaries": communications, medical kits, UAVs, building materials - at the expense of the state; ending the "monopolisation of humanitarian aid".
10/ "• Command responsibility for losses: The fighter is a “valuable asset”; material and personnel liability for “excessive/avoidable” losses; retraining in the case of serious miscalculations.
11/ "• Justice and “symbolic” cases: public and fair decisions on high-profile episodes (including “Puzik” [notorious commander who sent two UAV pilots to their deaths for reporting his drug-dealing activities]), witness protection.
12/ "• Personnel and institutional purges/control: the fight against corruption and false reporting; the promotion of “frontline” commanders; external control loops.
13/ "• Communication and “common sacrifice”: direct conversation with society; demonstration of elite participation; formulation of clear goals.
14/ "• Strategic alternative: recognition of the limits of volunteerism for the infantry and the choice of a recruitment model (if voluntary, then “fix it”, if not, openly change it).
15/ "Conclusions: • Money has ceased to be convertible into recruitment : without legal certainty, fairness and “meaning”, the increase in payments will not be transformed into contracts.
16/ "• Intra-system practices ("deception", "all-out assault", false reporting, failure of the "small sky") are the key barrier; this is an organizational, not a "PR" problem.
17/ "• One "illustrative" case can "zero out" [destroy] a recruitment campaign; for the current wave, the symbol is Puzik. Until there is a fair outcome, trust cannot be restored.
18/ "• There is a pool of "here and now" measures: fixed contracts, protection of military specialisms, anti-drone training, material support, commander's responsibility – this does not require "miracles", but political will and managerial resources.
19/ "• Strategically, an honest choice of the recruitment model is needed: "fix" the volunteer one and restore trust, or recognize its limits for the infantry and change the approach." /end Source: https://t.me/AlexCarrier/13364
@ChrisO_wiki All fantastic ideas. And all never going to happen!
@ChrisO_wiki What a complex mess of threads.
@ChrisO_wiki Would it motivate Russians to enlist, if the real historical strategy was explained to them? (That Russia will always try to expand its borders no matter what, because it is an empire not a nation.) The Kremlin requires Russian men to die in war, forever.
@ChrisO_wiki What’s a septical Russian, wiki ?
@ChrisO_wiki A lot to read but Very interesting! I hope and believe that their mistrust in authorities will grow and spread to be an open wound among the whole population. All deceiption and all lies, the oppression and bullying...
@ChrisO_wiki People in the train are crying, the ones outside are happy...
@ChrisO_wiki 'HELL NO WE WON'T GO' says the 650,000 military age Ukraine men from wealthy families that deserted to Europe
@ChrisO_wiki You mean....Russia not being Russia?
