Some Russian units are as tough as they come.
When I speak to Ukrainian soldiers, I often hear the same story: ‘How the Russians attacked their positions’, ‘how most of these guys got themselves killed without achieving anything’, and ‘how they attacked again the very next day.’
The Russian soldier doesn’t seem to have a big problem with dying on the battlefield which in itself is a good thing for a combat soldier.
These folks suffer from lousy quarters, terrible food, obsolete equipment, and horrible leadership but still, most fo them go willingly into the trenches and face the enemy.
You may call it as you wish: maybe it’s stupid, maybe suicidal (it certainly is), or totally bonkers.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, the only obstacle that stands in the way of total Ukrainian victory is this strange (yet, historically not unknown) ‘quality’ of the Russian infantryman to willingly go into the meat grinder without having much of a chance to survive.
In lack of more suitable word, I will call it ‘tough’.
I wouldn’t call it “tough” as much as brainwashed. They live in a country where everything they see, hear and feel is vetted by the Kremlin and they are indoctrinated over and over again with the same verbal onslaught that Russia is the mother country and it is their duty to happily die for the motherland without complaint. They have no freedom of speech, thoughts or feelings, empathy is alien to them. No, not tough, just brainwashed.
That’s not tough. It’s pathetic. You’ve clearly never been a soldier.
“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.”
– George S. Patton