Military Texts: Russia's Armed Forces
In the wake of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the world has been left questioning the true extent of Russia's military revival. Several scholars and experts have delved into this topic, offering valuable insights into the Russian military's strategy, operational concepts, and cultural factors that have shaped its evolution.
Dr. Katherine Kjellström Elgin, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, recommends a series of books to better understand Russia's military and the Ukraine War. Unfortunately, the specific titles from her recommendations remain undisclosed at this time. However, other highly regarded works on this subject are worth mentioning.
Mark Galeotti's "Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine" is an encyclopedic look at Russia's hard power. Published just months after the Russian invasion, it offers remarkably timely analysis, tracing the history of the Russian military since the 1990s. One reviewer called it an "encyclopedic" look at Russia's hard power.
"The Transformation of Russia's Armed Forces: Twenty Lost Years," an edited volume, brings together several of the biggest names in Russian military analysis. Based on a special issue of the "Journal of Slavic Military Studies," this work discusses the challenges facing Russian policymakers as they tried to rebuild the Russian military.
Soviet military thinkers recognised a revolution in military affairs based on information technologies, but struggled to implement it. This struggle is further explored in Dima Adamsky's book, "The Culture of Military Innovation," which discusses the impact of cultural factors on the Revolution in Military Affairs in Russia, the US, and Israel.
Understanding how the Russian military became what it is today can help us understand where it might go after the war in Ukraine. "The Transformation of Russia's Armed Forces: Twenty Lost Years" highlights this point, providing a comprehensive analysis of the Russian military's resurgence under Vladimir Putin, as does "Russia's Military Revival" by Bettina Renz, published in 2018.
Michael Kofman, a former MWI fellow and prominent voice on the war in Ukraine, co-authored a report titled "Russian Military Strategy." This report provides an in-depth look at how Russian military leaders conceive of their strategy and operational concepts, helping to explain the early stages of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which surprised many analysts due to the Russian military's deviation from prescribed doctrine.
As we continue to watch the developments in Ukraine, these works offer valuable insights into the Russian military and its strategy. It is essential to understand the cultural, historical, and strategic factors that have shaped the Russian military to better predict its future actions.
- Dr. Katherine Kjellström Elgin suggests several books, including Mark Galeotti's "Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine" and "The Transformation of Russia's Armed Forces: Twenty Lost Years," to better understand Russia's military and the Ukraine War.
- Dima Adamsky's book, "The Culture of Military Innovation," discusses the impact of cultural factors on the Revolution in Military Affairs in Russia, the US, and Israel, further exploring the struggle Soviet military thinkers faced in implementing military innovation.
- Michael Kofman's report, "Russian Military Strategy," provides an in-depth look at how Russian military leaders conceive of their strategy and operational concepts, offering insights into the early stages of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
