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https://theconversation.com/ukraine-russias-losses-mount-but-self-sacrifice-in-war-is-part-of-the-countrys-mythology-215235>
"A recent intelligence report published by the UK’s Ministry of Defence about
Russia’s attempt to capture the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region is the
latest illustration of just how much the conflict in Ukraine is becoming a war
of attrition. Russia’s push to mount a new offensive in the east has resulted
in substantive “personnel losses” for its military.
In the west, many assume that every inch of Ukrainian land that is liberated
brings Russia closer to military defeat and Europe to peace. But Russia has
adapted to both internal and external shocks. As of August, it was estimated
that Russia had suffered “as many as 120,000 deaths”. That number will have
risen in recent weeks. And as the death toll climbs, the ability to replace
troops becomes as important as military equipment and technology.
Even though many young men left Russia rather than be sent to the front, the
country still has a large pool of young men from which to recruit and has
claimed to have enlisted a large number without resorting to general
conscription – although the Kremlin’s figures have been questioned by other
sources.
But the question remains as to how many Russian military deaths is too many for
Putin to retain the support of the Russian people. And it’s a very difficult
question to answer. In Russia, the notion of military sacrifice plays an
important role in informing national identity.
Russia’s national story is constituted by loss. It has lived and continues to
live a tale of self-induced suffering. Even just considering the past century,
military losses during the second world war and in Afghanistan – followed by
the loss of a sense of identity after the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1991
– have all come to define Russia’s character today. The sense of the “loss of
empire” is what has driven Vladimir Putin’s foreign adventurism in Georgia and
Ukraine."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
