Putin adviser fears "dramatic" situation for Russia as a result of further aid from the West

Created: 08/15/2022, 05:00

By: Fabian Mueller

A Ukrainian soldier stands in front of a destroyed Russian tank.

Russia suffered heavy losses in the Ukraine war.

© Michael Brochstein/dpa

An adviser to Vladimir Putin speaks openly about the problems of the Russian army in the war of aggression against Ukraine.

The situation could deteriorate “dramatically” by the summer.

Moscow/Munich - The Russian attack on Ukraine has been going on for five and a half months now and reports are mounting that the Russian army is lacking supplies.

An interview with Ruslan Pukhov, adviser to the Russian Defense Ministry and director of the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, now confirms this impression.

Pukhov made it clear to PRISP, a Russian consulting and analysis organization, that Russia's situation could deteriorate dramatically if further aid from the West were given.

The statements are surprising.

Pukhov is very close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he is a member of the council that works directly with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and thus with Putin.

Nevertheless, Pukhov now publicly laments the poor equipment of the Russian military and the lack of infantry, i.e. those soldiers who specialize in close combat and mostly travel on foot.

"Dramatic" situation for Russian army feared: "We have no air superiority"

An even bigger problem is the modern weapons that the west is making available to Ukraine.

Russia does not have 5th generation fighter jets like the F-35.

The Russian Air Force is being enormously hampered by this and the Ukrainian air defense system.

Pukhov admits: "We don't have air superiority." The problem could even worsen if, as announced, more air defense systems arrive in Ukraine.

And on the ground, too, Russian equipment would be inadequate.

The military works with outdated Soviet T-72 main battle tanks, and innovations from the armaments industry have not reached the troops, Puchow said.

A system developed in Russia that enables tanks to fend off attacking missiles is not or only rarely used.

"It's a pity, of course, because the experience of military operations in Ukraine has shown that a tank without an active protection system is not at all survivable on the battlefield."

Putin adviser describes Ukrainian army as 'often superior to us'

Ukraine, on the other hand, has learned to use its old Soviet guns in conjunction with commercial drones.

"In the case of an artillery duel, they are often superior to us," says Puchow.

To date, Western equipment has only been available to Ukraine in “homeopathic doses”.

But if the number of guns increases, it would be dramatic for the Russian armed forces: "The Russian return fire will simply not reach the target."

Pukhov continues: "The methods of the First World War don't work, especially if you don't have an enemy infantry superiority." The Russian side lacks reconnaissance work and a large number of precision weapons.

Russia can currently be happy that deliveries from the West are only coming to Ukraine in small numbers.

But at the same time he warns against underestimating the western arms industry.

Russia must recognize that the western defense industry supports each other as soon as it becomes necessary.

"The total number of weapons and equipment in service in the armies of the entire NATO bloc is very large and several times larger than ours."

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Pukhov fears that the Ukrainian army's numerical superiority through general mobilization poses another enormous risk for Russia.

He describes the horror scenario from the Russian point of view: "The situation on the fronts can become dramatic by the end of the summer."

Meanwhile, civilians can take part in the Ukraine war with donations: "charitable" organizations collect money to prepare missiles aimed at Russia.

(fmu)