Franz-Stefan Gady and Michael Kofman on what Ukraine must do to break
through Russian defences

COMBINED-ARMS WARFARE is a deadly ballet choreographed to overwhelm the
defender by integrating different combat arms, such as infantry and
artillery, and services, such as ground and air forces. Its origins lie in
the last two years of the first world war. After years of stalemate, the
German Imperial Army adopted innovative tactics to break through the
layered Allied defences of the western front and thus out of the
attritional deadlock.

This novel approach was not enough to win the war, but it changed the
course of warfare. Before 1917 most operations were sequential. Days of
artillery fire on a trench gave advance warning of an attack. When the
fire paused and infantry went over the top, soldiers would be mown down.
The same attack in combined-arms fashion would involve brief artillery
fire on the enemy position, combat engineers clearing obstacles such as
mines and barbed wire, and soldiers advancing under covering fire
immediately afterwards.

…

The offensive quickly resorted to extensive use of artillery and small-
scale assaults by infantry units, fighting from tree line to tree line.
Progress is slow because much of the battlefield is densely mined, with
anti-tank guided missiles, attack drones and aircraft posing further
problems. In the south Ukraine has been drawn into an artillery-dominated
war of attrition. The situation around Bakhmut, farther north, is better,
largely because the Russian forces there are not as entrenched and the
geography of the battlefield is more favourable to Ukraine. Still, there,
too, progress has been slow and costly.

…

The new brigades have been unsuccessful not only because they had little
time to develop this cohesion, but also because they have not been trained
the way they need to fight. Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to master Western
tech quickly led to misplaced optimism that the time it takes to develop
cohesive fighting units could be short-circuited. Putting these units in
the vanguard of a difficult assault, instead of more experienced
formations, now looks like a mistake that reflected the prioritisation of
Western kit over time in the field.

https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/07/28/franz-stefan-gady-and-michael-kofman-on-what-ukraine-must-do-to-break-through-russian-defences

Онзи дали схваща проблемите, които стоят пред украинците да изпълнят
мечтата му?!

И да помогнем на онзи в разкриването на авторите на статията:

Franz-Stefan Gady is the founder and CEO of Gady Consulting and a
consulting senior fellow with the Institute for International Strategic
Studies. Michael Kofman is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment.

--
«地 球 誕 生 在 牛 市 的 小 時 — Earth is born in the Bull's hour»

On Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 2:22:25 PM UTC-4, Nick wrote:
> Franz-Stefan Gady and Michael Kofman on what Ukraine must do to break
> through Russian defences
>
> COMBINED-ARMS WARFARE is a deadly ballet choreographed to overwhelm the
> defender by integrating different combat arms, such as infantry and
> artillery, and services, such as ground and air forces. Its origins lie in
> the last two years of the first world war. After years of stalemate, the
> German Imperial Army adopted innovative tactics to break through the
> layered Allied defences of the western front and thus out of the
> attritional deadlock.
>
> This novel approach was not enough to win the war, but it changed the
> course of warfare. Before 1917 most operations were sequential. Days of
> artillery fire on a trench gave advance warning of an attack. When the
> fire paused and infantry went over the top, soldiers would be mown down.
> The same attack in combined-arms fashion would involve brief artillery
> fire on the enemy position, combat engineers clearing obstacles such as
> mines and barbed wire, and soldiers advancing under covering fire
> immediately afterwards.
>
> …
>
> The offensive quickly resorted to extensive use of artillery and small-
> scale assaults by infantry units, fighting from tree line to tree line.
> Progress is slow because much of the battlefield is densely mined, with
> anti-tank guided missiles, attack drones and aircraft posing further
> problems. In the south Ukraine has been drawn into an artillery-dominated
> war of attrition. The situation around Bakhmut, farther north, is better,
> largely because the Russian forces there are not as entrenched and the
> geography of the battlefield is more favourable to Ukraine. Still, there,
> too, progress has been slow and costly.
>
> …
>
> The new brigades have been unsuccessful not only because they had little
> time to develop this cohesion, but also because they have not been trained
> the way they need to fight. Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to master Western
> tech quickly led to misplaced optimism that the time it takes to develop
> cohesive fighting units could be short-circuited. Putting these units in
> the vanguard of a difficult assault, instead of more experienced
> formations, now looks like a mistake that reflected the prioritisation of
> Western kit over time in the field.
>
> https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/07/28/franz-stefan-gady-and-michael-kofman-on-what-ukraine-must-do-to-break-through-russian-defences
>
> Онзи дали схваща проблемите, които стоят пред украинците да изпълнят
> мечтата му?!
1) Кое те кара да мислиш, че не съм запознат с проблемите пред украинската армия
(или че съм спрял да следя изказванията на Михаил Кофман за развоя на войната)??
2) Михаил Кофман нали беше без военен опит, по думите ти, и не трябвало да
му обръщаме внимание? Или забрави какво писа тука само преди 3-4 месеца?
Както казах, ти се оказа по-глупав отколкото предполагах по-рано.
>
> И да помогнем на онзи в разкриването на авторите на статията:
>
> Franz-Stefan Gady is the founder and CEO of Gady Consulting and a
> consulting senior fellow with the Institute for International Strategic
> Studies. Michael Kofman is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment.
>
> --
> «地 球 誕 生 在 牛 市 的 小 時 — Earth is born in the Bull's hour»

On Mon, 31 Jul 2023 08:53:07 -0700 (PDT), Ivaylo Ivanov wrote:

> On Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 2:22:25 PM UTC-4, Nick wrote:

>> Franz-Stefan Gady and Michael Kofman on what Ukraine must do to break
>> through Russian defences

>> COMBINED-ARMS WARFARE is a deadly ballet choreographed to overwhelm the
>> defender by integrating different combat arms, such as infantry and
>> artillery, and services, such as ground and air forces. Its origins lie
>> in the last two years of the first world war. After years of stalemate,
>> the German Imperial Army adopted innovative tactics to break through
>> the layered Allied defences of the western front and thus out of the
>> attritional deadlock.

>> This novel approach was not enough to win the war, but it changed the
>> course of warfare. Before 1917 most operations were sequential. Days of
>> artillery fire on a trench gave advance warning of an attack. When the
>> fire paused and infantry went over the top, soldiers would be mown
>> down.

>> The same attack in combined-arms fashion would involve brief artillery
>> fire on the enemy position, combat engineers clearing obstacles such as
>> mines and barbed wire, and soldiers advancing under covering fire
>> immediately afterwards.

>> …

>> The offensive quickly resorted to extensive use of artillery and small-
>> scale assaults by infantry units, fighting from tree line to tree line.
>> Progress is slow because much of the battlefield is densely mined, with
>> anti-tank guided missiles, attack drones and aircraft posing further
>> problems. In the south Ukraine has been drawn into an
>> artillery-dominated war of attrition. The situation around Bakhmut,
>> farther north, is better,
>> largely because the Russian forces there are not as entrenched and the
>> geography of the battlefield is more favourable to Ukraine. Still,
>> there, too, progress has been slow and costly.

>> …

>> The new brigades have been unsuccessful not only because they had
>> little time to develop this cohesion, but also because they have not
>> been trained the way they need to fight. Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to
>> master Western tech quickly led to misplaced optimism that the time it
>> takes to develop cohesive fighting units could be short-circuited.
>> Putting these units in the vanguard of a difficult assault, instead of
>> more experienced formations, now looks like a mistake that reflected
>> the prioritisation of Western kit over time in the field.

>> https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/07/28/franz-stefan-gady-
and-michael-kofman-on-what-ukraine-must-do-to-break-through-russian-
defences

>> Онзи дали схваща проблемите, които стоят пред украинците да изпълнят
>> мечтата му?!

> 1) Кое те кара да мислиш, че не съм запознат с проблемите пред
> украинската армия (или че съм спрял да следя изказванията на Михаил
> Кофман за развоя на войната)??

Аз говоря за нечтата ти, не за нещо друго.

> 2) Михаил Кофман нали беше без военен опит, по думите ти, и не трябвало
> да му обръщаме внимание? Или забрави какво писа тука само преди 3-4
> месеца?

Ще ми припомниш ли? Да видим как ще реагираш на твоите камъни по твоята
глава.

> Както казах, ти се оказа по-глупав отколкото предполагах по-рано.

Е, не аз пиша глупости тук, вдъхновен от пропаганда. И както винаги, даже
не си прочел статията.

Така, че от твоята уста това звучи като комплимент.

Няма да питам колко ви струва обслужването на дълга ви, че пак ще се
отплеснеш да демонстрираш познания за фиатния долар. Но може да кажеш за
последните 10 години колко пъти вдигахте тавана на дълга си.

--
«地 球 誕 生 在 牛 市 的 小 時 — Earth is born in the Bull's hour»