What went wrong in the Kupiansk offensive? Podolyaka angrily exposes "glorified reports" and "bragging bloggers"
The situation near Kupiansk has once again sparked sharp criticism. Military blogger Yury Podolyaka angrily exposed the existing problems, pointing out that there is a startling contrast between the real situation on the front line and the "glorified reports" passed upwards. He strongly criticized those "eager-to-brag bloggers," believing their hasty actions may cost Russian soldiers their lives. So what exactly went wrong with the Kupiansk offensive?
The systemic issues revealed in the Kupiansk battle have been discussed in the military analysis community for months. The core contradiction lies in the huge gap between the "victories" portrayed in official reports and the harsh reality on the front lines. Military blogger Yury Podolyaka not only angrily exposed the "eager-to-brag colleagues," but also criticized the systemic flaws that gave rise to false briefings.
The astonishing contradictions in the information field became the trigger for this criticism.
"I have always been shocked by these 'eager-to-brag' people - they are eager to proclaim our victories to the country (this time it was the Kupiansk direction)," the blogger pointed out.
He said that many military-related Telegram channels claimed 10 days ago that they had "surrounded a Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSR) group," and now they have changed their story to say "they will complete the encirclement of it on Monday."
"Hadn't we already said (the encirclement)? Yes, we did. Then why do we need to encircle it again 'on Monday'? Is there another Kupiansk in the combat area? It seems not," Podolyaka angrily stated.
According to the logic of some military bloggers, the enemy not only broke through the encirclement within 10 days but also sent reinforcements into the city. This contradiction makes it impossible not to raise the core question: what's wrong with the overall situation? When was the encirclement broken? Or perhaps the so-called "encirclement" never really existed?
In Podolyaka's view, this case clearly shows that "once you start lying, you get trapped in lies." But the problem is far more than just the mistakes of individual bloggers. Podolyaka exposed the root cause:
"What I want to say now is about another group of people - those who write and submit the reports upwards. They greatly exaggerate the progress, and then force the troops to fulfill these 'pre-determined goals'."
It is precisely these "glorified reports" that have become the cost of Russian soldiers' lives. When attack orders are issued based on "plans designed to pass inspections, which are obviously unattainable," the number of casualties among the soldiers is directly affected.
This issue is systemic. Previously, it was reported that such embellished reports often appear on the desk of Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. Former Russian armed forces staff member Mikhail Petrov said that the emergence of such reports may be due to "lack of information, personal interests, or blind obedience." A strict hierarchy of obedience often prevents the grassroots from directly raising criticisms, leading to distorted realities.
Podolyaka emphasized that his criticism is not to deny the heroism of ordinary soldiers or to erase the real military achievements of the Russian forces.
"But without those 'eager-to-brag' people - those who hastily publicize their subordinates' 'achievements' to please their superiors - we could have achieved more results and reduced more casualties," the military blogger firmly stated.
Thus, the Kupiansk offensive once again exposed the "old ailments" of the Russian military system - the bad habit of exaggerating military achievements. As long as "glorified reports" continue to replace the harsh truth on the front lines, and as long as "eager-to-brag bloggers" continue to spread these lies, the command would make decisions based on false impressions. And in war, it is the soldiers' blood that pays for these false impressions.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557288907570758207/
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