Russia is struggling to make advances and its soldiers are showing increasing signs that they are not up-to-the-fight. However, as winter approaches, Ukraine is beginning to lay the groundwork that can completely change the war.Chuck Pfarrer, one of America’s most renowned and respected military authors and analysts, discusses with Kyiv Post’s Jason Jay Smart why Russia is showing all of the signs of having fallen into a quagmire with no strategy or hope of being able to get out. Pfarrer, having been a former Squadron Leader of SEAL Team 6, explains why the failure of Russia’s attempted attack is indicative of a larger, systematic breakdown within the Russian military. Russian troops are becoming ever more wary of throwing their lives away in “meat-assaults,” but does Russia know any other way to wage war?Pfarrer, who has advised numerous US national security agencies and is a leading figure in the analysis of the war in Ukraine, is a new special correspondent for the Kyiv Post. Here, he explains why Russia’s losses so far have been disastrous and why an abysmal summer awaits the Kremlin. Russia fundamentally lacks the soldier-scholar model of officer leadership that would allow for it to process why it is losing and to devise solutions. Instead, Russia will continue to just bleed itself dry. After his service in the US Navy, Pfarrer served public and private sector clients as a military and counter-terrorism contractor and non-proliferation expert. Pfarrer has written extensively on counter-WMD proliferation and gray zone operations. He has written an op-ed for the New York Times and the Knight-Ridder Syndicate and has appeared as a writer and counterterrorism expert on CNN, ABC, MSNBC, Fox, CSPAN, NPR, Voice of America, Al Jazeera, Al Hurra, IPR, and America tonight. Despite Russia loudly bragging that it is winning, the reality is that things are quite different on the field of battle.Chuck can be followed on X: https://x.com/ChuckPfarrerDr. Jason Smart can be followed: YouTube: / @jasonjaysmart Web: JasonJaySmart.com X: https://x.com/OfficeJJSmart Facebook: facebook.com/JasonJaySmart LinkedIn: /jasonjaysmartChapters:00:00 Intro01:00 Why Kursk remains a critical battleground02:34 Russian struggles in Kharkiv and glide bomb attacks04:55 Putin’s failed deadlines and Ukraine’s resilience06:28 Recruiting Crisis in Russia07:34 Economic Instability in Russia09:36 Historical parallels and potential instability in Russia.11:09 Oil Sanctions and Economic Pressure12:13 Ukraine’s Long-Range Strikes13:30 Conclusion
