To Defeat Russia, the Ukrainians Must Adopt 'Ungentlemanly Warfare'

Townhall.com ^ | February 5, 2022 | Jonathan Emord

[Kaslin]

Commentators have assumed that the Ukraine stands little chance of fending off an overwhelming onslaught from Russia because of Russia’s vastly superior troop and weapons strength. But history proves an inferior force dedicated to unconventional warfare can so damage a superior one as to compel its withdrawal or cause its defeat. The American Revolution proved that point in the Eighteenth Century. Consider Russia’s horrendous losses in Afghanistan before it was forced to withdraw. We ourselves experienced a comparable disaster in Vietnam and many would argue in Afghanistan. Based on those and other examples, the Ukrainians’ fate is indeed very much to be decided by their will to fight and by their methods. If they are wise, they will follow Winston Churchill and discover that clandestine “ungentlemanly warfare,” replete with the element of surprise, can indeed hasten the destruction of an enemy despite that opponent’s technological and numerical superiority.

In Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Giles Milton records the history of clandestine operations employed in the service of Great Britain by various people trained in the dark arts of unconventional warfare. Those brave mavericks were dispatched by secret order of Prime Minister Churchill to perform dangerous missions of sabotage against Nazi Germany throughout the second World War. Those operations repeatedly confounded Nazi plans to achieve military objectives, crippling supply chains; destroying fuel depots and power plants; and misdirecting command, control and communications. The Ukrainians would do well to study Churchill’s “ungentlemanly warfare” very carefully and prepare to employ like methods in anticipation of a Russian invasion.

Indeed, with appropriate U.S. backing, the Ukrainians could take full advantage of Russia’s profound weaknesses. Despite news suggesting the contrary, Russia’s massing of troops, equipment and supplies along the Ukrainian border reveals significant vulnerabilities that can now be exploited. Through means of espionage and infiltration, Ukrainian operatives and commandos can take steps that, if timed properly, will impede a Russian advance. They can spike Russian fuel supplies; remove key components from Russian tanks, aircraft, and armored personnel carriers; and contaminate food and water stockpiles necessary to sustain Russian forces. The mass deployment of Russian forces immediately across the Ukrainian border puts them all within easy reach of Ukrainian operatives and commandos. Cyber warfare can also be staged presently at key points along the Ukrainian border to enable--simultaneous with the start of Russian offensive operations--signal jamming; electromagnetic spectrum operations to destroy command, control, and communications capabilities; rapid deployment of system destructive viruses; and rapid deployment of viruses designed to give command instructions that redirect Russian forces or cause them to enter staged Ukrainian kill zones. In this way, a far inferior force can magnify its impact to rebuff or defeat a vastly superior force.

Russia maintains a big and cumbersome military machine that suffers from the weakness of centralized command and control that, if broken, leaves officers in the field panic stricken with little assurance that if they act without authorization they will not end up suffering severe punishment. Russian rank and file soldiers fear their superiors, and they fear the intervention of political commissars. They proceed in war out of fear and paranoia, far more so than patriotic zeal. By contrast, Ukrainian soldiers will be fighting for their homelands, for their literal homes, and for their families. Their incentive to defeat the invaders to protect their homes and families are far greater than the Russian soldier’s incentive to fight. The Russian soldier is miles from home, is living uncomfortably in the field in the dead of winter, and is under the oppressive command of a military directed strictly from the top down. Although there are Russians from the region among those massed at the border, the typical Russian soldier has little personal interest in or familiarity with the Ukraine and all or almost all are commanded by officers who are politically preferred Russians who are not originally from the Ukraine or Crimea.

If Russian forces enter Ukrainian territory and occupy it, unconventional techniques, akin to the highly successful counterinsurgency measures employed by the French Resistance in World War II, will again be essential in crippling Russian occupying forces.

In short, if the Ukrainian people have the will to fight, they can retain or regain control of their country, even against one of the most oppressive and tyrannical regimes in the world. Like in Afghanistan, if Russia becomes bogged down in the Ukraine with tremendous loss of life and destruction of its military hardware (if the Ukraine becomes a kill zone for Russia’s occupying forces), Russia may well perceive the advantage of colonization outweighed by the costs. The Ukraine can become another Afghanistan for Russia, depending on the will of the Ukrainian people to be independent.

The United States should make clear to the Ukrainians, complemented by immediate action, that America will back Ukrainian independence and opposition to Russian aggression by supplying the Ukraine with the training and means necessary to engage in unconventional (or, in Churchill’s words, “ungentlemanly”) warfare against Russian aggressors and occupiers—regardless of the length of Russian occupation. While it is in our strategic interest that Russia not regain control over the former Soviet satellite states, we serve that interest not only by arming the Ukrainians but also by supporting Ukrainian resistance to any Russian occupation. We need that far-thinking at the State Department, among the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and at the National Security Council.

[jdsteel]

“Actually, we had the war won in about 1970.”

Absolutely correct.

We had the war won in Afghanistan and Iraq as well. Then we started the I’ll-fated “nation building”.

I can only hope that in our next war we break things, kill people and leave with the warning that there’s more wup-ass left in the can.

[icclearly]

“Military adventures against russia are guaranteed to end in tears.”

You sure got that right!! Russia did not accumulate the largest landmass on the planet by playing “milk toast.”

[MercyFlush]

Are you proposing the Russians should exterminate the Ukrainians?

[MercyFlush]

Russia had it’s butt kicked by Japan, they were defeated by Germany in WW1, they failed to conquer Finland, and they lost the Cold War. They can be beaten.

[robowombat]

There is no US interest in the Ukraine.lf they and Russia wish to fight it is their business not ours. This entire article is Neo Con global only. It is not our sacred mission from God to save the world. The appalling results of 20 plus years of bastard crusades in the Middle East should be chastening. Instead K Street and our profoundly corrupted government are trying to create a fake crisis to make a new forever war.
r
r

.

[whistleduck]

Colin Powell and his “you break it you fix it” nonsense resulted in the nation building. Hordes of bureaucrats , corrupt contractors and years of theft inflicted on Americans. At least we got thousands of hostile to our values terrorist leaning welfare candidates in return. You just cannot make this up.

[Tom Tetroxide]

After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 NATO promised not to expand further than the unified Germany. Now most of the former Iron Curtain countries and some former Soviet republics are NATO members.

Enlargement of NATO

In 1999, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic joined NATO, amid much debate within the organization and Russian opposition. Another expansion came with the accession of seven Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. These nations were first invited to start talks of membership during the 2002 Prague summit, and joined NATO shortly before the 2004 Istanbul summit. Albania and Croatia joined on 1 April 2009, prior to the 2009 Strasbourg–Kehl summit. The most recent member states to be added to NATO are Montenegro on 5 June 2017 and North Macedonia on 27 March 2020.

This pic makes light of just how much Russia wants war with NATO. Can't imagine why Russia is feeling so defensive these days.

[Ancesthntr]

Sounds great for an armchair general. He (and we) would do well to know that the Russian generals (actual generals, with combat experience) know all of this and have counter-actions planned - including operations to disrupt any ungentlemanly warfare by the Ukrainians before they start.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

LOL! Probably not a bad idea to have one. Also buy a generator that can’t be harmed by an EMT attack as the threat of that is looming. I was talking to a Freeper yesterday about that, how we have no protection from it and it would utterly destroy the country just as devastating as a nuke if not more so.

[jdsteel]

Powell is partly to blame, but the real blame lays on the shoulders of GW Bush.

His “kindler, gentler” nonsense cost much blood and treasure.

[Vaden]

As per usual on Freerepublic, “facts” that aren’t true pepper so many comments.

China does not own or control the Panama Canal. It is owned and run by the Panamanian government.

China does not control 100% of our manufacturing. The US industrial output has grown virtually nonstop for decades. The US is the largest producer of most “high-end” merchandise. From aerospace to medical equipment to chemicals, the US has the largest industries. Here in NC new furniture factories have opened and older ones revamped and restarted in the last 5 years and the same goes for textiles. And before you say “Walmart” most of what they sell (60%+) was produced in the US.

As for the rest of the problems, they were CAUSED by liberals and the liberal Americans who vote for such policies (See: San Francisco voter registrations).

A brave individual would stand up against communist bullying of a small state by a much larger one.

[Vaden]

Except that no such agreement was made or signed.

Take your pro-commie propaganda and stuff it.

[Vaden]

And before Catherine the “Great” there were MANY occupiers, invaders, and controllers of Crimea. It’s “owners” have always been disputed. But Russia (and Crimeans themselves) agreed to Ukranian independence, and also agreed to Ukranian sovereignty over Crimea which they signed, unlike the mythical NATO “agreement” not to ever expand to Eastern Europe.

Historically, it has been RUSSIA that has desired conquest of much (or all) of Europe. Their refusal to let their neighbors be is the reason NATO had to exist in the first place.

North America belonged to the indian tribes for centuries before Columbus.

You be sure to give your property back to it’s rightful owners real soon now.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 NATO promised not to expand further than the unified Germany.

FAKE NEWS. No such promise was ever made. Even the people allegedly involved in this promise on the Russian side deny they ever heard any such promise.

[bravo whiskey]

The Soviets did not fail to conquer Finland. They decided not to occupy it after the Winter War ended in 1940 and the Continuarion War ended in 1944. The Soviets controlled the government and the economy so had no need to occupy the country, especially given Sweden was to the west. Hence the term Finlandization.

[Tom Tetroxide]

By NATO moving up to Russia’s border it only provokes them to become more defensive. Then our Leftist media goes absolutely ape doody when Russia moves troops within it’s own country up to its own border.

What if Russia had a NATO equivalent in Canada and/or Mexico and Central America? How would we react?

[dfwgator]

If NATO kept their noses out of it, odds are Ukraine and Russia could have already come to an agreement. But once outsiders step in, things get complicated.

[Tom Tetroxide]

NATO is not going to keep their noses out of Russia and the Ukraine’s business. As of 2021 NATO has officially recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and the Ukraine as candidates for membership into NATO.

Again, no one is asking how would Americans would feel if Russia had a NATO equivalent on our border(s).

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

By NATO moving up to Russia’s border it only provokes them to become more defensive.

Estonia with its shit army, no nukes, no means to defend themselves from Russian missiles, is provoking Russia which has more nukes than the USA, UK and France combined, can strike any target in the continental USA within minutes, and which has cheated in every arms agreement they have ever signed to the detriment of the rest of the world?

What if Russia had a NATO equivalent...

Don't they basically do, but it consists of shitty communist countries like Cuba, Venezuela, or terrorist organizations like FARC? According to books like Red Cocaine by Cliff Kincaid, the Russians even have their hands in the Mexican cartels. Another journalist--who had to flee the country-- have even claimed the Russians keep permanent Spetznas forces embedded with the cartels.

How would we react?

We don't. We ignore it entirely. And we're the only ones who are actually threatened by Russia's subversion and criminal activity, not the other way around!

[piasa]

We didn’t lose the Vietnam War on the battlefield, and we didn’t lose it because the Vietnamese put up such a great fight...we lost it in Washington DC.