US General Mark Milley has stated that the command structure of the Russian army is confusing at best, writes Politico.
General Milley, commenting on the mutiny of the Wagner group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin in June, stated that the Russian army was in chaos. After the coup failed, the group handed over its weapons to the Russian regular army.
Milley stated: “The command-and-control apparatus at the strategic level is certainly confusing at best and probably challenging.”
The general said
the aftermath of the mutiny and logistical problems, significant officer losses, and poor training is contributing to the breakdown of morale
in the army’s ranks. According to him, the Russians had several months to improve their defenses, put up fences and dig trenches, but Ukraine continues to advance through the front line.
So far, Kyiv’s progress in the long-awaited counteroffensive has been modest, but Milley explained that Ukrainian forces are saving up their combat capabilities. He predicted that the battle would be long, hard, and bloody, but it was far from a failure.
The main challenge for Ukrainians is minefields. Allies are focusing on providing Ukraine with equipment to defuse mines, as well as to defend itself against Russian air attacks.
Milley’s comments echo those of another Pentagon official, Colin Kahl, that Ukraine has yet to use most of its combat potential. Kahl said that Ukraine is probing Russia’s defense lines to find weak spots.