Brigadier General Denys "Redys" Prokopenko, commander of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov", has published a detailed essay explaining why many Western analysts overestimated the Russian army in 2022 and why Russia is ultimately losing this war.
In his analysis, "Redys" points out that pre-war assessments by Western think tanks and intelligence services were based primarily on quantitative indicators - the size of the Russian army, numbers of tanks, aircraft, and artillery. They largely overlooked critical qualitative factors: command culture, morale, social cohesion, and the ability to adapt.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces, particularly units with roots in the volunteer movement like Azov, have developed a modern decentralized command philosophy based on trust, initiative, and Mission Command principles.
Higher command sets clear objectives and intent, while subordinate commanders on the ground have the authority and responsibility to determine how best to achieve them. This approach creates high flexibility and effectiveness in dynamic combat conditions.
In contrast, the Russian military system remains a rigid, top-down Soviet-style hierarchy where loyalty to the regime takes precedence over competence. This leads to operational paralysis, poor development of junior leadership, and a tendency for senior officers to sacrifice large numbers of personnel to fulfill orders, even when those orders are flawed.
Denys Prokopenko emphasizes that this war is not merely a clash of resources, but a contest between two fundamentally different systems: one that empowers its people and another that controls them.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
❗️❗️Urgent appeal by Azov Battalion commander Denys Prokopenko about the situation at
#Azovstal plant.