Great update, Mick! I like the way you have phrased it up front as the Ukrainian way of war and the emphasis of what happens prior to and away from the battlefield. Wars are won or lost based on training, learning/adaptation, innovation, and quick, decisive decision making in the moment among other things like logistics and economic output going toward the war effort.
The manner in which you show that war is an intellectual exercise that puts into practice ideas and methods developed from experience and within its institutions is a far cry from the right wing nuts in the US who see only brute force as the way of war. A dumb, brute force military is a not a successful military.
"Culture. What is the status of the transition from older Soviet cultures to Ukrainian and western-oriented models for training, organising and fighting."
Because it looks like a three-way collision, with the culture getting both whiplash and a spinning spinal fracture.. It'll be interesting to see what you say about overcoming Soviet culture with Ukrainian improvisation while enduring the west's "We are Patton" attitude.
Ukraine has made clear that almost every major assumption about a land war in Europe since about 1955 is hokum.
Kyiv is a capital of Ukraine. It is a major and a quite a big city. And as many capitals of that kind it is not a good representation of what Ukraine is (even though it is way better to try to understand Ukraine from Kyiv than from Australia;) ). Kyiv is rather rashy capital of quite a big coutry, inhabitant by a little multi cultural population, quite distracted from the rest of the country.
Nevertheless, if you really wish and have a possibility you are welcomed to a smaller cities - where actual Ukraine spirit is.
If you do not have the luxury of multy city visits: at least would be great to visit Lviv- used to be called a soul of Ukraine.
Kyiv folks typically goes here, to Lviv: to actually check the ukrainian spirit ;).
Anyway, welcome to Ukraine and have a pleasant and safe stay!
Some great insights. Thank you Mick for your dedication to the important contribution in building international confidence in Ukraine’s capability to prosecute and win this war. We all need to step back and think about how we need to prepare for our next war, when it comes.
Great update, Mick! I like the way you have phrased it up front as the Ukrainian way of war and the emphasis of what happens prior to and away from the battlefield. Wars are won or lost based on training, learning/adaptation, innovation, and quick, decisive decision making in the moment among other things like logistics and economic output going toward the war effort.
The manner in which you show that war is an intellectual exercise that puts into practice ideas and methods developed from experience and within its institutions is a far cry from the right wing nuts in the US who see only brute force as the way of war. A dumb, brute force military is a not a successful military.
This caught my eye:
"Culture. What is the status of the transition from older Soviet cultures to Ukrainian and western-oriented models for training, organising and fighting."
Because it looks like a three-way collision, with the culture getting both whiplash and a spinning spinal fracture.. It'll be interesting to see what you say about overcoming Soviet culture with Ukrainian improvisation while enduring the west's "We are Patton" attitude.
Ukraine has made clear that almost every major assumption about a land war in Europe since about 1955 is hokum.
Kyiv is a capital of Ukraine. It is a major and a quite a big city. And as many capitals of that kind it is not a good representation of what Ukraine is (even though it is way better to try to understand Ukraine from Kyiv than from Australia;) ). Kyiv is rather rashy capital of quite a big coutry, inhabitant by a little multi cultural population, quite distracted from the rest of the country.
Nevertheless, if you really wish and have a possibility you are welcomed to a smaller cities - where actual Ukraine spirit is.
If you do not have the luxury of multy city visits: at least would be great to visit Lviv- used to be called a soul of Ukraine.
Kyiv folks typically goes here, to Lviv: to actually check the ukrainian spirit ;).
Anyway, welcome to Ukraine and have a pleasant and safe stay!
Some great insights. Thank you Mick for your dedication to the important contribution in building international confidence in Ukraine’s capability to prosecute and win this war. We all need to step back and think about how we need to prepare for our next war, when it comes.