Russia admits losing TWO officers in day – including a colonel who was sent into the field to replace one killed earlier by Ukraine

Russia has admitted losing two officers in a single day, including one who had been sent to replace a colonel who died fighting earlier in the war.

Lieutenant-Colonel Denis Sukhanov, 41, was reported to have died 'defending civilians' though the exact location and date of his death were not revealed.

Meanwhile Colonel Denis Kozlov, 40, was revealed to have died during a botched mission to cross the Donets River last week that ended with an entire Russian battalion being wiped out.

Another TWO bite the dust...

“Major!”

“Yes, general!”

“I’m promoting you to colonel!”

“That’s good news sir! Where is my posting?!”

I’m guessing this is defining everyone from Major on down as the equivalent of an NCO?

I doubt very much that losing two officers as commonly understood is news.

These are colonels - lt.colonels. Each leads a battalion or larger. That is a significant loss as among other things it implies an even larger loss in other staff and cadre. It implies heavy losses among personnel that are not easily replaceable. And the rate of senior officer losses is unprecedented in all wars since 1945. And it would have been very unusual in WW2 as well, as a proportion of manpower engaged in action over a similar period.

The only exceptions, in WW2, would have been in conditions of catastrophe, the mass “kessel” encirclements on the Eastern Front in 1941-42, the destruction of the 6th Army, the destruction of Army Group Center, the surrender in Tobruk, Tunisia, El Alamein, Singapore, Bataan/Corregidor, etc.

What we are seeing in Ukraine is, so far, a war of very small armies vs those of WW2, distributed along a length of frontage that absorbed millions of men in WW2. In Tunisia 1942-43 alone the sum of forces of both sides together was more than double those engaged in Ukraine today.

Well, I HAVE put on a military uniform, so my two cents.
These men deserve respect for losing their lives while doing their duty at the head of their regiments, however illegitimate their cause. Soldiers do not choose their wars.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.