Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2023 was met with unexpected resistance from the Ukrainian armed forces and the international community. Despite having a larger and more powerful military, Russia failed to achieve its goal of a quick and decisive victory. Instead, it faced a prolonged and costly war that exposed its weaknesses and limitations.
Some of the mistakes that Russia made in the early stages of the war were:
- Underestimating the strength and capabilities of the Ukrainian military, which had modernized and reformed after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas.
- Overestimating its own military strengths, which were based on an ambitious modernization program that focused on nuclear weapons and experimental technologies, rather than conventional warfare.
- Failing to gain air superiority, despite having a numerical advantage in combat aircraft, due to the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defenses and the lack of coordination and training among Russian pilots.
- Relying on outdated and poorly maintained equipment, such as T-72 tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, and Grad multiple rocket launchers, which were vulnerable to Ukrainian anti-tank missiles and artillery.
- Adopting a rigid and centralized command structure, which gave little initiative to front-line commanders and prioritized political goals over battlefield realities.
- Wasting time and resources on symbolic targets, such as Bakhmut, a city in eastern Ukraine that had little strategic value, but was seen as a prestige objective by the Kremlin.
Russia’s adaptations on the battlefield
As the war dragged on, Russia learned from its mistakes and made some adjustments to its strategy and tactics. Some of the adaptations that Russia made were:
- Downsizing its objectives and focusing on holding the territory it had captur
