As Lt. Col. Erwin Rommel wrote in his book on infantry tactics, chapter 2, section 3: "Command posts must be dispersed."
Otherwise, you as the enemy are likely to experience what the Ukrainian military did today to the Russians in the Kharkiv province. When one of its reconnaissance units in the Izyum area spotted the compact Russian base (above), it relayed the coordinates to the special forces of the Ukrainian National Guard, which "worked on it" with heavy artillery, reports The New Voice of Ukraine.
U.S. intelligence has perceived that Russian forces in the Ukrainian east have learned lessons from the mistakes they made in the Ukrainian north. It appears they have a few more lessons to learn. The manner in which Russians establish their bases and command posts reminds one of the way they rolled their tanks down the streets of Ukrainian cities up north.
Ukraine was able to execute its artillery mission today because of the new and powerful weapons the West has been shipping to the besieged nation. Just yesterday and today, more than 12 U.S. cargo planes delivered radar systems, drones, heavy artillery and other equipment.
President Biden has requested $33 billion more in aid for Ukraine, $20 billion of which would be in military goods. That's the good news. The bad news is that he had to ask Congress for the appropriation, and Congress rarely acts quickly — on anything.
Meanwhile, Britain is sending missile launchers and it has offered to supply Poland with tanks that can then be transferred to Ukraine. Poland has already sent more than 200 Soviet-made tanks, as well as mobile artillery, drones and rocket launchers. Canada is sending howitzers and sophisticated cameras for Turkish-manufactured ballistic drones.
Britain's defense minister, Ben Wallace, has said that his nation's military support should unable Ukraine "to choose where it wishes to settle for peace." His personal view, however, is that Russia must be booted from Ukraine in toto.
"I want Putin not only beyond the pre-February boundaries. He invaded Crimea illegally, he invaded Donetsk illegally and he should comply with international law and in the long run leave Ukraine," said Wallace in a statement to members of parliament.
Cheers and a hearty hooray. I quite agree. Ukraine's total victory is within reach as long as the West keeps shuttling heavy offensive and defensive equipment to the country. A few dozen jets would help immensely, in view of Russia's thundering airstrikes in preparation for artillery strikes and then advancing ground forces.
A U.S. defense department official has described Russia's progress as "plodding." But however slow, it's still progress. And the one military component Ukraine is destined to remain short of is air power — unless it receives further help from the West.
Now is the time to strike and strike hard, from the air as well as on the ground. Russia is hurting, manpower-wise. British intelligence re-confirmed today that "Russia has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units" that were recently humiliated in northern Ukraine, and so morale is likely to remain poor. It has also resorted to transporting soldiers from Russia's far reaches to the Donbas. "Moscow is trying to gain momentum," reports say.
Ukraine's challenge is to stop that momentum cold. And it can with the right support from the West, and the right timing of that support. For Russian forces are not only suffering from some of its old mistakes, it's wearied and, on troops, it's beginning to run low. Hit 'em now.