What happens is that in your eagerness to bring an erroneous narrative that Russia has only played pawns and has saved its best chips for later, you make the mistake of assuming that the militiamen and the Donbass and the Wagners are second-class troops, even mediocre.... When the reality is different
The level of personal equipment of a Wagner was much better than an average Russian soldier, and the mercenaries had experience in Syria, Africa at the very least... While the conscripts of the Russian army barely know how to lift a rifle, and with 2 months of training a lot they will learn
Wagner and the Donbass militiamen may not possess the cover systems and artillery capabilities of the Russian armed forces, but that is not the point, furthermore, the Russian army must offer support and cover to all combatants fighting on its side. ... Many of Wagner's disproportionate losses were due to late support and coverage by the Russian armed forces, criticism of which was made public...
I didn’t mean that. I simply pointed why many people state that Russia only lost 30k soldiers.
Anyway notice, that even counting Wagner and militias Russian deaths are several times smaller than Ukrainians in a country that is 3 or 4 times bigger in population.
Totally wrong analysis.Russia lost experienced mercenaries, experienced militiamen, who not only taught the Russian army to mobilize in the Donbass but also trained Russian units... So don't come to me to minimize the casualties of militants and Wagner, as if they are just minor chips. .. If instead of these elements, you put Russians from the army, the result would be the same or worse... Remember that the VDV in some units were massacred, as well as elite units of the Guard.... And don't forget the number of Russian army officers who have died in this conflict, officers with experience in all the wars that Russia has participated in in recent history
Russia, with the exception of Nuclear weapons, has used the best it has, both in systems and resources...
You consider that easy conflict in Siria, counter insurgence operations in Africa, and protracted low intensity conflict in Ukraine since 2014 give Wagner, militias lot of experience.
You also consider that Russian official got lot of experience in Georgia in 8 days and in Siria.
But in 2 years of the most intense war since the Korean War you decide not to count the experience won by the Russian army.
The war that has involved fighting NATO trained units, fighting NATO system, NATO intel and so on.
Any prior experience is dwarf by the experience won in the last 2 years.
More than half million Russian soldiers have been rotating in the battlefield during 2 years.
Russian officials getting experience.
Any death of officials, Wagner and militias is totally compensated by the experience won by all the rest.
Nowadays no other army in the world have the experience that Russian army has.