Kyiv Ukraine’s counter-offensive is in full swing – how does this affect the morale of the Russian armed forces? There have always been doubts about the cohesion and general morale of Russian troops. They have a hard time recruiting and try, among other things, to win people over with financial incentives.
The retreat was very rapid and disorderly. Some soldiers are also said to have fled in civilian clothes. What predominates here: the knowledge that you have committed crimes yourself or the fear for your own life?
The motivation to fight is strongly influenced by how great the fear for one’s own life, abuse and imprisonment is. Add to that a certain weariness and it takes little to make the decision to flee. Especially when faith or trust in the mission is not great.
Despite the hopeless situation, they continued to fight in the Second World War because they believed in their own cause. In addition to ideology and mission, it is primarily the comrades on the left and right that are decisive for combat motivation for the front-line soldiers. When the good comrades also try to save their skins, it triggers a dynamic.
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Another factor could be the miserable conditions in the Russian army.
It is known that things were tough there. Young recruits were abused and some committed suicide because they no longer wanted to be involved in the training. There is the term “Dedovshchina” (rule of the grandfathers, refers to the harassment of younger conscript soldiers by seniors, note).
The Association of Soldiers’ Mothers was also created for this reason. In the Russian army there is a lot geared towards violence, power, hierarchy and dependent thinking. This is a bad starting position in a war situation. Because if the individual soldier sees an opportunity to save himself, he is more likely to do so than if he was previously trained in a people-oriented context.
In the Russian army there is a lot geared towards violence, power, hierarchy and dependent thinking. This is a bad starting position in a war situation. Hubert Annen, military psychologist
To this day, Putin himself describes the war of aggression as a “special military operation”; war was never declared – would that have changed anything psychologically?
For propaganda it sure makes a difference. I can’t judge it from a strategic and political point of view, because apparently they didn’t want to get themselves in trouble (Russia has neither declared martial law nor a state of war, note) and is sticking to it.
There are now people around him who are talking about a general mobilization, but can that work? If doubts were sown within the troops.
As a non-strategist, I can’t assess this sufficiently, but from the point of view of psychological warfare and propaganda I can imagine that the offensives of the Ukrainian armed forces are now being communicated as aggressive.
The propaganda will try to misrepresent the actions of the Ukrainians. It’s about maintaining the black and white images in the sense of: Look, we’ve always said they threaten and attack us. I could imagine that they want to further cannibalize this narrative. As far as the current military successes of the Ukrainians are concerned, I would still be a bit cautious.
>> Read here: Putin will mobilize everything – this is how he braces himself against his downfall
Why?
There have always been regroupings, in other words people withdraw and regroup. In psychology there is a concept of critical reaction. When an animal feels cornered, and also knows that it has absolutely no chance, it will do something. I fear that this war will become even more brutal, also against the background of the willingness to use violence and values within the Russian troops.
I fear that this war will become even more brutal, also against the background of the willingness to use violence and values within the Russian troops. Hubert Annen, military psychologist
But how could you boost their morale?
It is known that the lower and perhaps middle class of young people do actually go into the military, the upper class simply bought their freedom because military service is not held in high esteem. Therefore one tries to help the others with financial incentives. There is a certain fatalism. They do it because they have no other option. Would a general mobilization be successful? That would set political signals and at the moment I don’t think it will go in that direction.
What role does the fighting spirit of the Ukrainians actually play?
It’s a great advantage if you want to defend and hold your own country. You don’t have to find any legitimacy and you have the support of the population. In Ukraine, this situation has existed in the Donbass for almost ten years. The willingness to resist is already cultivated. This is also known from other military conflicts, such as the Resistance movement or in Afghanistan, which is not called the graveyard of the great powers for nothing.
>> Read here: Negotiate or escalate? Putin under pressure after military setbacks
In your opinion, was there a certain momentum?
A key point was Selenski’s appearance right at the beginning. It was like something out of a textbook for communication in crisis situations. He made himself present with the right words, saying sentences like “I need ammunition, not a ride”. His background as an actor certainly stood him in good stead. But there are also historical examples of this: Winston Churchill also found the right words at the right moment.
At the same time, the Russian army lacks any resounding successes to announce.
Yes, it got stuck from the start and when you’re on the other side and always see a glimmer of hope, that keeps you going. If Kyiv had been taken, the momentum might have tipped over to the other side as well.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the war in Ukraine:
The Russian armed forces had to retreat a second time after Kyiv. That must be fatal for an army. How do you want to communicate a continuation?
That is the great difficulty. The Russian side lacks a charismatic personality who can find the right words and say: Now more than ever. The armed forces strike me as a lumbering ocean liner that has been geared towards Putin for 20 years. No change of course can be made in the short term. He’s holding back, but of course he’s part of the propaganda machine. However, he is not like Zelensky, who is reaching hearts in the country.
He is also said to have fired several high-ranking generals. That will definitely trigger something at the front.
When there is a hire-and-fire culture, people are only there for as long as their own goals and aspirations allow. And when that’s no longer the case, you walk away. In the private sector, one speaks of commitment and emotional attachment to the company. That comes with good leadership and respect, and these are not necessarily traits that we see in the Russian army.
The generals know that if they do something that the boss doesn’t like, they’re gone. So they only stay as long as they want. A certain culture was produced there, which is now showing its consequences. But again: we must not forget that the conflict is ongoing and Putin will use all available means and opportunities not to lose face.
This text first appeared in the Tagesspiegel
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