Conflicts

According to the independent Ukrainian media Euromaidan, which has analyzed Russian society, the evil is widespread corruption.

For Oleksiy Zagorodnyuk, independent researcher on the Russian war economy:

“Endemic corruption has been a dominant factor in Russia's losses. The exclusive hierarchical structure of the Russian army, which depends on the head of state and is subject to little or no external control, fosters widespread corruption.”

Also according to Euromaidan, the Russian elite often sees the conflicts created by Moscow as opportunities for personal enrichment. This mindset leads to inefficiency, overconfidence and corruption, resulting in mediocre military performance, and may partly explain the total failure of Russia's intended blitzkrieg in Ukraine.

For example, since the start of the war of invasion against Ukraine, a particularly glaring problem has been the supply of shoddy equipment to Russian soldiers.

Reports suggest that troops have received downgraded and unusable body armor, probably due to corruption in the procurement process. Some soldiers have even had to buy their own basic supplies, including boots, medical kits and food.

These logistical shortcomings are largely attributed to corruption and misappropriation of military funds.

Oleksiy Zagorodnyuk concludes: 

“The Russian disease of corruption is not a contemporary phenomenon; its roots go back centuries.”

(MH with AmBar/Source: Euromaidan/Photo: Tapio Haaja/Unsplash)