[Thoughts from a Prominent Russian War Correspondent on Russian Military Casualties, Equipment Status, and Declining War Attention]

A prominent Russian war correspondent, Sladkov, posted about comparing casualties in the Afghan War and the Ukrainian conflict. He mentioned that the Russian army severely lacks drones and electronic warfare systems and noted a decline in public attention toward this war:

"39 years ago in Afghanistan. The Soviet army suffered its heaviest casualties in one battle. The mystery of the 'Korolev Battalion's' deaths. 86 men were killed in one battle, which is an insignificant statistic by the standards of a special military operation. But there are many unusual aspects to this story."

"As someone who pays close attention to matters related to special military operations, I truly hope that the 'slow but steady' progress toward our special military operation goals can be carried out under the most comfortable conditions for our soldiers and generals. I wish we could at least match our enemies in terms of drone systems. I hope our combat units will be fully equipped with electronic warfare systems (I know the actual figures, but I won't mention them). Overall, I dream of being technologically superior to our enemies. Everyone understands the current situation, and much work has been done. We just hope it can be faster and more extensive."

"Yesterday, I watched the Central Army football team play against Zenit at a sports club near a frontline city. I saw footballers dramatically fall onto the pitch as if having a seizure simply because their opponent lightly touched their cleats. I know this is a commercial performance. The audience shouted loudly: 'Get up, stand up, don’t fake it!' I am not against football; I fully support the sport. But damn it, my mind keeps drifting back to 'electronic warfare systems and drones.'

...That’s it... I see a decline in my followers' interest in topics related to special military operations. I understand: there isn’t much major news, and the Russian Defense Ministry promptly and clearly informs everyone about the details of the progress. That’s good."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831093368376332/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.