Rising War Crimes: The Dark Impact of Inexperienced Troops in Russia and Israel

Russia and Israel are currently locked in a bitter conflict that will determine the outcome of their nation-states. However, both countries have one major weakness. The quality of its soldiers. This article analyzes the challenge that Russia and Israel face in using conscripts/reservists in its current conflict.

Russia’s “Special Military Operation”?

On November 10, 2021, the United States?noticed?unusual troop movement on Ukraine’s border. On February 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin ordered Russian soldiers to enter separatist republics in Eastern Ukraine. On the 24th,?Vladimir Putin?announced the beginnings of a “special military operation” in Eastern Ukraine. Mere moments after the speech, explosions hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and the Donbas. Military forces poured into Ukraine and attempted to overwhelm Ukrainian troops.

On the 25th, Russian forces heavily engaged with the Ukrainian military and attempted to surround?Kyiv. Kharkiv was bogged down, and Russian armored columns were ambushed. In the northern front of Ukraine, Russian advances were stalling. However, the eastern front had more success. As Russian soldiers approached Kyiv, Vladimir Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, ordered residents to prepare Molotov cocktails and distributed 18,000 guns to defend Kyiv. The Defense Ministry also announced that all civilians were eligible to volunteer for military service regardless of age. On March 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued an evacuation notice to the citizens of Kyiv. Russian airstrikes and artillery continued to bombard the region significantly. While the bombardments caused significant damage, they failed to provide the necessary support to take Kyiv.

On March 8, the director of the CIA, William J. Burns,?noted?and mocked Putin’s attempt to take Kyiv. On March 22, Ukraine launched a counter-offensive to push out Russian forces and secure Kyiv. On April 2, Ukrainian authorities announced that Kyiv was recaptured. The Russian forces retreated from Kyiv and reclaimed territories, revealing Russian war crimes that were committed in the region, more specifically Bucha.

Bucha Massacre

Following the recapture of Ukranian territories around Kyiv, Ukranian soldiers uncovered a?massacre?of civilians and prisoners of war. Local authorities noted 458 bodies were recovered. Four hundred nineteen were killed with weapons, and 39 were due to natural causes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights?documented?the summary executions of at least 73, and photos of executed civilians were posted all over social media. These civilians were tied with their hands behind their backs and shot at close range. Radio Free Europe?reported?a basement as a torture chamber, and bodies were found mutilated and burnt. Girls as young as 14 were raped.

The economist?reported a survivor’s testimony. The man was taken by Russian soldiers and moved to a nearby building that was a temporary Russian base. They were beaten and tortured and brought to the side of the building to be shot. He played dead, then ran home.

Human Rights Watch?reported residents of Bucha were looted and robbed of their possessions as Russian forces were retreating. During the Russian occupation, anyone who left their homes for food or water was shot.

New York Times?reported that Russian forces recklessly killing civilians, and women were raped and executed. Telegram channels that were used to sell pro-Russian merchandise used the slogan “Slaughter in Bucha: We Can Do It Again.”

Russian Incompetence?and Low Morale

As social media exploded with news of the Russian invasion, other videos began to highlight Russian incompetence. Photos of Russian soldiers dying of blood loss with Tournaquires?zip tied?to their body armor—a?video?of a Russian soldier telling new conscripts to use tampons to plug in bullet wounds.?Vehicles?left stranded without gas. Evidence from the frontline shows that Russia is incapable of coordination with bigger units; a Russian artillery piece almost hit one of its aircraft.

Meanwhile, the Red Army has made significant gains and is currently conducting a new offensive. Russia’s major issue relies on its training and its?conscription. Initially, conscripts were primarily trained to support behind the front lines, while more professional units handled the fighting, but investigations revealed that Putin relies on bolstering his forces with conscripts. While Putin is able to replenish numbers, morale is a different story.

Intercepted communications from Russian soldiers to loved ones back home reveal the deplorable conditions they’re fighting in. Some are even comparing their?experience?to Soviet forces in World War 2. Horrible logistics and a combination of poor, inexperienced soldiers have led to multiple?battalions?being wiped out completely.

Israel’s Invasion of Gaza

Following the October 7th terrorist attacks, IDF forces quickly responded and moved into Gaza. Their tactical success in destroying tunnels and killing most of Hamas’ Chain of Command cannot be said for its strategic and operational failures. Currently, Israel is facing significant?reprocussions?with the number of dead civilians. While it is impossible to avoid collateral damage, Israel’s current tactics and killing without civilian consideration are having an impact.

In the first week of the war,?6,000?airstrikes were conducted across Gaza, resulting in 3,300 dead civilians and 12,000 injured. These strikes specifically targeted non-military targets. On December 16,?Israeli?forces killed two women sheltered in a church and were shot?inside. This attack was so horrendous, the people commented, claiming it was terrorism.

What is interesting to note is that even the IDF is reporting friendly fire, around?17%.?While there are multiple accounts of indiscriminate bombing, one category of war crimes that this article observes is killing surrendering forces.

Surrendering Forces Killed

On October 10, IDF released a video that revealed IDF soldiers killing four surrounding Palestinians. The footage shows three men surrendering, with one waving a white cloth. On December 8, 2023, video footage was released of two Palestinians killed in a refugee camp. On December 20, OHCR noted that Israeli soldiers killed unarmed men in Rimal.

In one of the biggest tactical mistakes, on December 15, the IDF released a statement that three hostages were?killed?by friendly fire. They were waving a white flag and shirtless to reveal they were not suicide bombers. The Israeli high command condemned this. An investigation later told that Israeli soldiers were ordered to kill any fighting-age men who approached them.

Israel Conscription and Reservist Forces

Israel is surrounded by neighboring countries that are hostile to it as a nation-state. As a result, Israel has a conscription that requires all Jewish Israelis to serve in the IDF when they are of age. Arab Israelis and other minority groups can volunteer. The men have a three-year obligation service, while the women have two.

Israeli planners?traditionally?treated their reservists as core combat troops instead of supplementary forces. Over 75% of the IDF consists of reserve components. Following October 7, 360,000 reservists were mobilized in response.

Analysis

Both Israel and Russia are locked in a conflict that will determine the future of their nation. However, both countries are slowly becoming pariahs on the world stage, and one of the reasons is the war crimes. Both Russia and Israel are committing war crimes against innocent civilians, but what is interesting to note is that the situation that both armies face is vastly different.

Russia must contend with a force in a conventional manner, and Israel is currently fighting against an insurgency. Russia suffers from morale issues where specific units are placed behind enemy lines. Most of the territory Russia captured was lost and only held a fraction of its initial gains.

Israel is building an unconventional army and achieving tactical victories. However, it is losing operational goals as a result. Indiscriminate bombings, friendly fire, and killing indiscriminately are starting to have an effect on its long-term strategic goals to achieve security within the region.

Both sides share one unique trait, and their reliance on conscript and reservist forces are the main common denominators. For both countries to excel in their long-term goals, they must have a force that is well-trained to meet them. Israeli forces must be more disciplined to prevent accidentally killing civilians, and Russian troops need to supply their forces better and hone in more rigorous training. Russia and Israel must have an adequate force that can meet their political demands or face the consequences.

Original Article: https://warrior-insights.blog/2024/01/04/rising-war-crimes-the-dark-impact-of-inexperienced-troops-in-russia-and-israel/