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"Sending their best" - Debunking the myth of Russian 'cannon fodder'

In any conflict, there are always going to be myths that emerge. Stop me if you've heard some version of this one over the last few weeks: "Russia isn't sending their best troops/equipment. They just sent in the conscripts first to soften the Ukrainians up. Any day now the real troops will go in with updated gear and you'll see!" No. Russian visually confirmed equipment losses paint a very clear picture and it's this: If anything, the better equipment and units are paying a disproportionately high price in this campaign to date. I am not saying Russians have been well trained or well supplied. I'm not saying that they haven't used conscripts. I'm not even saying that they haven't shown a disregard for casualties. All I'm saying is that there is no evidence that Russia is holding back it's best men or materiel. In this video, I look at the myth, the available evidence, and present sources you can use yourself.

English
  • Originally Aired March 21, 2022
  • Runtime 27 minutes
  • Production Code Lem3enNkbV0
  • Created May 23, 2023 by
    stalemate
  • Modified May 24, 2023 by
    PolarGeek admin