3.3.22
Russian military commanders invading Ukraine knew that their Ukrainian opponents had received significant training and weapons from the US and other Western countries. Reports about the potential use of US-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles and FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles began surfacing as Russian President Vladimir Putin was amassing hundreds of thousands of troops along Ukraine's borders with Russia and Belarus. More informed Russian military commanders also knew that in addition to the Ukrainian military and national guard, they could end up facing small groups of foreigners — mostly Westerners — who had gone to Ukraine to join the fight against Putin's aggression. Ukraine's foreign minister said Wednesday that more than 1,000 volunteers from 16 countries were on their way, and a Ukrainian defense official told Military Times that Ukraine's Embassy in the US had received more than 3,000 applications from US citizens who want to join the fight. Several European nations have authorized their citizens to go to Ukraine and answer Zelenskyy's call to arms. The Ukrainian military and national guard have so far put up much fiercer resistance than Russia and the world expected.
"The Ukrainians are really good. They might lack the weapons and tech we enjoy in our Western militaries, but they have heart. You can never go wrong with heart," a former British Royal Marine who fought in Ukraine told Insider. "If this comes down to an insurgency, heart will carry them through much better than high-speed rifles or gear," the former British Royal Marine said. "My take on why they are underperforming in Ukraine now is that they weren't ready for it," the former US Marine said. US officials and experts on the Russian military have also said Russian troops seem surprised or unprepared for the operation and that the tactics on display differ from those Russia would be expected to employ. Russian forces struggled to advance in Ukraine in the first days of the invasion, during which they appeared to try to avoid deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilians, but many civilians, including children, have already been killed, and experts expect Russian attacks to get less discriminate as frustration mounts over their lack of progress. "It is definitely sad to see the human loss of life" and the destruction of Ukrainian cities, the former US Marine said. "I can't help feeling we let Ukraine down. For the Ukrainian people and for us fortunate to have lived with them, this war was long in the making. I feel sorry about how events played out, but I saw it coming."
