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The stalled and sputtering spectacle the Russian military is making of itself in Ukraine came as a revelation to General Frank McKenzie – and almost certainly to Vladimir Putin as well. "I am surprised at the problems they were having," McKenzie said. "It should be very concerning to Russian leadership."
As commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, McKenzie has spent the last three years operating in close proximity to the Russians in Syria, and knows their history as one of the world's great tank armies – all of which has been belied by the first three weeks of war.
As commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, McKenzie has spent the last three years operating in close proximity to the Russians in Syria, and knows their history as one of the world's great tank armies – all of which has been belied by the first three weeks of war.
Why Russia's tank war stalled in Ukraine
Posted from cbsnews.com
Russia
Tanks
Ukraine
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."As commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, McKenzie has spent the last three years operating in close proximity to the Russians in Syria, and knows their history as one of the world's great tank armies – all of which has been belied by the first three weeks of war.
"They haven't been able to maneuver their armor effectively," McKenzie told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. "There's a tremendous history of that, actually, in the Russian military, being able to do deep-armored operations. At the end of the Second World War, they were as good at that as anybody else. But these guys don't seem to have remembered that."
"Should heads roll?" Martin asked.
"I would not be happy if that's the way U.S. forces were performing," McKenzie replied. "We have non-commissioned officers that are the backbone of the joint force. They're the people that actually make sure things are done, that continuing actions are taken, that you dig in, that your tanks don't run out of fuel."
McKenzie, himself a tank commander as a young officer, watched in disbelief as an entire armored column advancing on Kyiv literally ran out of gas.
"If you're going to drive and operate a main battle tank as a commander, and I have, then you are thinking all the time about fueling that beast. If you're not thinking about fueling that beast, then you're behind. And they appear to have not taken those basic logistical considerations and trying as they move forward."...
..."As commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, McKenzie has spent the last three years operating in close proximity to the Russians in Syria, and knows their history as one of the world's great tank armies – all of which has been belied by the first three weeks of war.
"They haven't been able to maneuver their armor effectively," McKenzie told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. "There's a tremendous history of that, actually, in the Russian military, being able to do deep-armored operations. At the end of the Second World War, they were as good at that as anybody else. But these guys don't seem to have remembered that."
"Should heads roll?" Martin asked.
"I would not be happy if that's the way U.S. forces were performing," McKenzie replied. "We have non-commissioned officers that are the backbone of the joint force. They're the people that actually make sure things are done, that continuing actions are taken, that you dig in, that your tanks don't run out of fuel."
McKenzie, himself a tank commander as a young officer, watched in disbelief as an entire armored column advancing on Kyiv literally ran out of gas.
"If you're going to drive and operate a main battle tank as a commander, and I have, then you are thinking all the time about fueling that beast. If you're not thinking about fueling that beast, then you're behind. And they appear to have not taken those basic logistical considerations and trying as they move forward."...
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