Russian milbloggers are attributing the sinking of a $65 million Russian warship to inept commanders. Ukrainian military intelligence recently claimed a victory against Russia's Black Sea fleet, stating that the Russian vessel, Sergei Kotov, was destroyed by a sea drone in the Kerch Strait.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian military bloggers, known for their ultranationalist views and close military ties, are criticizing the Russian military command for its lack of response to the incident. They are also highlighting the bureaucratic inertia within the Russian military apparatus.
One prominent military blogger on Telegram, Rybar, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of proper defense mechanisms on the Sergei Kotov, despite previous sea drone attacks. Another blogger, Dva Maiyora, suggested that Russian commanders tend to cover up mistakes rather than address them, creating a culture of negligence.
Military blogger Two majors pointed out that commanders often deflect blame to conceal their errors. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been plagued by issues such as poor leadership, military corruption, and a centralized military system that discourages reporting of problems.
A 2023 report by the Foreign Policy Research Institute highlighted Russia's failure to decentralize decision-making authority and communicate accurate information as core weaknesses. Despite historical Russian dominance in the Black Sea, Ukraine has employed innovative tactics like sea drones and long-range missile attacks to challenge Russian naval superiority.
Ukraine claims to have damaged a significant portion of Russia's fleet, destroying 25 vessels and disabling 15 since the conflict began. However, Ukraine is facing challenges on the ground, including severe ammunition shortages exacerbated by delays in receiving $60 billion in aid due to political obstacles in the US Congress.
Russia aims to exploit Ukraine's vulnerabilities by escalating its attacks amid the ongoing conflict.
