Russia hesitates as Ukraine grits its teeth (Opinion)
A Canadian small-arms instructor conducting a range practise with Ukranian soldiers in 2018. (Photo: Canadian DND)
Although Russia should win the war in Ukraine with firepower alone, the latter still has a number of factors in its favour.
The 19th century US sea power strategist Capt Alfred Thayer Mahan said that he would rather face a modern ship with an untrained crew than an older ship with a trained crew. Mahan was giving implicit credence to the idea that it is not always the force with the greatest firepower that wins the firefight.
Training, along with logistics and morale, is often underplayed in modern conflict studies but can be force-multipliers in their own right and as the war in Ukraine unfolds, it is timely to consider their impact.
Firstly it is worth noting that the war is ongoing
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