Summary of How Russian Military Logistics Can't Compete With USA

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

The US military is praised for its effective logistics system, while the Russian military has been criticized for its poor logistics, including limited airlift and sea capacity. The Russian military's reliance on railways for transportation, lack of overseas bases, and limited ability to operate beyond their borders has made it challenging to supply forward-deployed units. Maintaining long-term storage of equipment often fails in Russia due to lack of proper maintenance, part theft, and greedy officers, leading to a large percentage of inventory being write-offs. Unlike in the US, the Russian government doesn't have the economic resources or desire to take care of soldiers and their families, and they have stopped listing soldiers as killed instead of missing in action to avoid paying the life insurance benefits to the families.

• 00:00:00 In this section, we learn that logistics are the backbone of any effective military force and that the US military is a master at logistics. On the other hand, Russia has been criticized for poor logistics, with their lack of sea and airlift capacity being the most obvious example. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian military lift capacity has declined dramatically, limiting their ability to operate beyond their borders. Furthermore, the Russian Navy does not practice or have the capability for regular underway replenishment, which is a crucial logistical component for the US Navy. Additionally, Russian planes supporting combat operations have to take longer routes that waste time, fuel, and money due to denied overflight.
• 00:05:00 In this section, it's explained that the Russian military's overreliance on railways for transportation and the lack of overseas bases poses a challenge in supplying forward-deployed units. A RAND corporation study in 2020 showed that supporting formations of troops beyond a brigade level would be difficult for the Russian military beyond Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltics. The study estimated that Russia could not support units larger than a battalion level for any campaigns past Eastern Europe. This, as well as the restriction on sending conscripts into combat outside Russian borders, has affected the proper manning of Battalion Tactical Groups in the Russian military.
• 00:10:00 In this section, we learn about how the Russian military's system for maintaining long-term storage of equipment often fails due to lack of proper maintenance, part theft, and greedy officers. This has led to a large percentage of inventory being write-offs, making it challenging for Russia to acquire spare parts from Western countries, primarily due to sanctions. Additionally, the Russian government doesn't have the economic resources or desire to take care of soldiers and their families, unlike in the US, where servicemembers and their families receive regular salaries, healthcare, housing allowances, tuition allowances, and other resources. Finally, the Russian government has stopped listing soldiers as killed instead of missing in action to avoid paying the life insurance benefits to the families, which reflects their lack of care for their soldiers.