(KYIV) – A growing number of pro war Russian military commentators are expressing disillusionment with the current operational tactics employed by the Kremlin in Ukraine. Recent monitoring of the Russian information space reveals a shift in narrative among influential military bloggers who formerly championed the invasion. These commentators are increasingly questioning the strategic logic of expending vast personnel and ammunition to capture settlements that have been reduced to rubble.
Journalist Anna Danyliuk reports that these figures are drawing unfavourable comparisons between the current war of attrition and the 2014 annexation of Crimea. The seizure of the Crimean peninsula allowed the Russian Federation to appropriate functional infrastructure including factories hospitals and schools alongside regional wealth without significant destruction. In contrast the current Russian offensive strategy relies on scorched earth tactics which obliterate the very territories Moscow seeks to control.
The capture of cities such as Bakhmut and the ongoing assaults on Pokrovsk result in the acquisition of uninhabitable ruins rather than economic assets. Russian commentators note that the military does not gain access to operational industrial bases but instead inherits ashes. This reality has sparked debate within the pro war community regarding the futility of these advances. There is a growing realisation that the Russian dictator is sacrificing thousands of soldiers to seize territory that holds no immediate value.
The economic implications of this destruction are also a primary concern for these observers. With the Russian economy facing significant strain due to sanctions and inflation there is alarm regarding the future cost of reconstruction. The military bloggers argue that the Kremlin will need to invest billions of dollars to rebuild these devastated regions. This comes at a time when heating systems in Russian cities like Irkutsk and Murmansk are failing due to a lack of domestic maintenance and investment.