It's a story that smells of gunpowder, a moment of national rhetoric.
Ukraine recently announced a new round of mobilization plan, claiming to "conscript 500,000 soldiers". However, behind the scenes of this big gamble is the plight of the Ukrainian army. Major General Dmitry Marchenko publicly poured cold water on him, saying that the volunteers had run out and that there was not even a definite plan for when 500,000 people would be mobilized again and how to achieve it. As a result, "conscription of 500,000 soldiers" began to have a taste of banter, as if it were a ridiculous joke.
With the announcement of the mobilization plan, the issue of the supply of troops in Ukraine has once again come into focus. Survey data shows that the average age of front-line soldiers in the Ukrainian army is already over 40 years old, and female soldiers, who were originally mainly in the rear, are now increasingly appearing in front-line trenches. Faced with the shortage of soldiers, the Ukrainian army has even begun to call for mobilization to female soldiers and couples, and even more unexpectedly, they have also introduced military uniforms specially designed for pregnant women. This scene can't help but make people sigh that under the clouds of war, Ukraine's mobilization plan has become more and more distorted and helpless.
Behind the war, the issue of aid highlights the lack of supplies in Ukraine. The European Union, which once promised to provide Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells, has now made it clear that it will not be able to deliver. What is even more worrying is that the West's commitment to Ukraine has fallen off a cliff since August this year. Between August and October, the size of all types of Western aid pledged to Ukraine fell by nearly 90 percent year-on-year. The $60 billion aid bill promised by Trump has also been delayed in passing, and the shortage of funds may erupt next spring.
Turning to Russia, they have shown steely ambitions in their armament program. Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Industry Manturov said that Russia is already ahead of the West in the field of production. In 2023, the production and delivery of the Russian army on a number of projects will increase by 10-12 times, and the implementation rate of state defense orders will reach at least 98%. What is even more shocking is that Russia has drawn up a national armament plan for 2025-2034, showing firm confidence in the strategic plan for the next ten years.
Perhaps even more surprising is that Russia seems to be feeding its war on war. Under the influence of Western sanctions against Russia, Russia's economic situation is not as difficult as the outside world expected. On the contrary, they not only maintain high efficiency in production, but also have long drawn up a long-term armament program. This makes one wonder if Russia has achieved self-sufficiency in the war while Ukraine and the West are constantly depleting themselves.
On the land of Ukraine, aid seems to have become a sign of dishonesty. The 1 million artillery shells that the EU promised to provide to Ukraine have now come to naught. At this moment of disappointment, Ukraine had to face a sudden cliff in aid. Western aid to Ukraine fell by nearly 90 percent between August and October. Trump's aid bill promised to Ukraine also failed to pass, like a boulder hanging overhead, threatening Ukraine's security at all times.
The contradictions and helplessness in this are reminiscent of the Western aid that Ukraine once pinned its hopes on. However, the reality is often harsh. In the face of war, aid is no longer the ally that once came as expected, but an elusive phantom. The Ukrainian army is not only facing pressure on the battlefield, but also has to deal with the challenge of lack of supplies, which seems to make the victory or defeat of this war to a certain extent preordained.
Russia, by contrast, seems to be dancing on the stage of weapons. Deputy Prime Minister Manturov's claim that Russia is ahead of the West in the field of production is not just a rhetoric of strength, but a shocking fact. It is planned to increase production and deliveries by 10 to 12 times, with an implementation rate of 98%, which makes Russia's armaments program look extremely resilient. Moreover, they have developed a national armament plan for 2025-2034, as if to declare to the entire world community that Russia is not a quiet participant.
The smell of vicious war permeates the Black Sea, and beneath the waves lies the risks and challenges of the national strategy. What happened to the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy in the Crimea was not only the destruction of warships, but also the emergence of the entire military strategy. This is not an isolated incident, but an expanded warning sign that a chaotic situation is brewing. The Ukrainian Air Force's precision strikes on Russian landing ships triggered a series of chain reactionsThe inadequacy of Russia's naval combat capabilities and its dilemma in responding to modern military threats were revealed.
The huge shock wave from the explosion of the battleship set off a deeper military challenge. The attack presented a worsening version of last year's events, revealing the fragility of the Russian Navy's amphibious operations. The loss of the landing ship is not only the loss of a ship, but also the weakening of Russia's ability to support the army and transport heavy equipment. The old equipment of the navy, especially the lack of modern amphibious assault ships, makes Russia vulnerable in its strategic layout at sea. In the wave of the Black Sea strategy, the weakness of the Russian Navy is becoming more and more apparent. The plight of outdated equipment and the lack of modern amphibious assault ships has a direct negative impact on its maritime transport capabilities. In the face of advanced ** and equipment from Europe and the United States, Russia is clearly caught in an insurmountable challenge.
In this geopolitical gamble, the turbulence and uncertainty of the Black Sea strategy are giving rise to a more complex situation. The attack was not a simple exchange of fire, but a demonstration of the importance of information and technology in the modern military. Ukraine's precision strikes not only exposed Russia's shortcomings in maritime strategy, but also revealed a new pattern in information warfare, even in traditional naval warfare, mastering advanced technology and intelligence is still crucial. The aging of Russia's military equipment at sea and the challenge of the lack of modern ships have not only affected the combat capability of the navy, but also directly derived the dilemma of information warfare and tactical response. The attack exposed the weakness of the Russian defense system, which is unable to effectively identify and intercept precision strikes of the Ukrainian Air Force, even with the S-300P 400 air defense system. This is not only a question of equipment, but also a challenge to the integration of information warfare and modern military technology.
Behind the Black Sea strategy is a contest of modern technology and information-based warfare. In this war, information acquisition, intelligence analysis, and precision strikes have become key. Russia's lag in modernizing military technology and information-based equipment has put it in a passive position on the modern battlefield. Ukraine, on the other hand, has demonstrated its dominant position in information warfare by virtue of the advanced technology it has acquired in cooperation with the West. This incident is not only a maritime conflict, but also the victory or defeat of the information war. The core of information warfare is the collection, analysis, and utilization of intelligence and technology. With advanced technology and intelligence acquisition, Ukraine has achieved precision strikes against the Russian Navy. Russia, on the other hand, has fallen into the quagmire of information-based warfare, and the aging of its naval equipment and the lack of informationization have become key factors restricting its combat capability. This article was only published in Toutiao today, and other platforms are counterfeits!
In the face of future military challenges, intelligence gathering and utilization will become the key to determining the outcome of the war. Russia's lag in information gathering and intelligence analysis will have a huge impact on its future military decisions. And Ukraine, by cooperating with the West to obtain advanced intelligence and technology, has demonstrated its superiority in information warfare. In the future, who will be able to make better use of the advantages of information warfare will determine the direction of the war situation. This Black Sea strategic incident revealed a new pattern of modern military warfare. In this race of information technology and technology, information collection and utilization will become the key to the battle. The core of modern military strategy is no longer just equipment, but also the control of information and technology. Future wars will be a competition in information and technology, and it is not only the strength and equipment that will determine the outcome but also the mastery and application of information and intelligence.