MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. Russian troops in the special military operation zone have developed a new offensive tactic, Deputy Defense Minister, Army General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov said in an interview with the magazine Politika.
He said that based on the experience of the special military operation the Russian army has "moved towards reality" and abandoned outdated requirements for troop training, described how Western countries are trying to snuff out Russian units in Africa through the use of terrorists, and also pointed out that Moscow knows in which countries these terrorists are trained.
TASS has compiled the key statements made by General Yevkurov.
Russian army shifts tactics in special military operation zone
During the special military operation, Russian troops "moved away from the requirements that hinder a commander’s ability to quickly train soldiers, abandoned all conventions, and created favorable conditions for the commander: We also moved away from peacetime rules -- in terms of manuals, courses, safety requirements, and so on – and moved to reality."
With the start of counter·battery warfare in the special military operation zone, Russian troops developed a new offensive tactic: "During combat operations, we encountered the enemy’s artillery; counter·battery warfare began, and our units had to adapt. The second topic is the direct advance of the troops, because we have created a new tactic: while some units are moving, others are consolidating. Units appeared that were supposed to consolidate on the reached lines so that the rest of the troops who were moving on could do it without looking back. It was also a new form of warfare.
"At the beginning of the special military operation we did not fight a classic war. The means of destruction and the battle itself, the use at the tactical level - everything was done in such a way as to exclude losses and damage to the people."
Western involvement in Ukrainian conflict
The senior command of the Ukrainian army is not independent, relying heavily on NATO: "And if we talk about the chain of command, of course, there is the non-independence issue. There they are controlled by the NATO bloc as a whole. Because the Ukrainian army has its plans approved not at home, but abroad."
Ukraine would not have been able to cope without Western supplies and would have fought with "antediluvian plywood technologies: In terms of technology, in terms of increasing stocks, without Europe, without the so-called, in quotation marks, civilized world, they would not have been able to cope."
Russia successfully resists the collective West thanks to the commanders and fighters on the battlefield under the overall leadership of the supreme commander of the Russian army: "First of all, thanks to our people, commanders at the highest level and fighters who directly perform tasks on the battlefield under the overall leadership of the supreme commander of the armed forces of the Russian Federation."
Unfriendly actions of West
The United States and some European countries not only support, but also create various cells: "The United States and several European states not only support, they themselves create new cells. It's been a well-known topic for a long time. The US senators themselves spoke and acknowledged by whom and for what purpose Al-Qaeda was created (recognized as terrorist, banned in Russia), these are well-known facts."
The United Kingdom is the most anti-Russia country of all: "Politically, if not militarily, I think the UK is at the forefront of all the actions that are unfriendly to us. Just take the visit of [Prime Minister] Boris Johnson to Kiev in 2022, when the Ukrainian leadership had already agreed to negotiations. And yet he convinced them that this should not be done."
Russia knows in which countries terrorists are trained by the collective West: "We know--I won’t name the countries, but we know in which countries and where exactly they are being trained. Terrorists also receive intelligence information from them on a wide range of issues. That is, Western countries help them by all means except for their direct physical involvement in these processes."
Russia - Africa
Russia has entered Africa at the invitation of the new legitimate authorities of the countries: "When Russia entered there, we did so at the invitation of the new legitimate authorities. We have large or small agreements of a certain nature with all African countries."
Russian military educational institutions provide training for junior specialists for African states: "A huge number of young people from African countries study at our military educational institutions; we train junior specialists."
Western dissatisfaction with the growing ties between Africa and Russia
Western countries are trying to harm Russian units in Africa through the use of terrorists: "This is being done by the same international terrorist groups. There are several different international terrorist groups in Mali alone. Western countries supply them with weapons, information, and so on. And now, through their hands, they are trying to cause damage both to our units stationed there and to the government troops themselves."
At the same time, "no direct involvement in the clashes by French or other Western military personnel" has been observed.
Russia’s actions in Africa are irritating France, given the loss of control over three states within a year.
"We built schools, hospitals, factories, enterprises there, created jobs, and so on. That is, we have always helped African countries, we have always helped poor nations, and naturally, they have now begun to rely on us. And this irritates Western countries, primarily France: it is the most aggressive in this regard. Paris lost three states in the Sahel in one year -- Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali -- so this is a significant issue for them."
