Russian forces are conducting its war in Ukraine without any planning - former NAF commander

RIGA - In their invasion of Ukraine, Russia's armed forces have proved that they are conducting this war without any planning or future strategy, the former Commander of the National Armed Forces (NAF) Gaidis Andrejs Zeibots told LETA.

"The beginning of the war showed that they do not think about tactics, but conduct their warfare immediately without planning," Zeibots said. According to him, the Russian army hoped that when they entered Ukraine, they would be greeted in the same way as if they were walking in a parade on Moscow's Red Square.

The former NAF commander added that the leadership of the Russian armed forces live in a "bubble". "The propaganda created by Russia is bothering them. I heard one anecdote: if Napoleon had the same propaganda apparatus as Putin now has in Russia, we would never know that Napoleon actually lost the war," Zeibots added.

According to him, Russian forces have been thinking about how to make the war as basic as possible. "Now that it has not succeeded, Russia is bombing cities en masse for a second day. Without great loss of civilians and soldiers, nothing will happen," Zeibots said.

The former NAF commander added that the entire Russian army consists of soldiers in compulsory service. "What professionalism can we talk about? There is a lack of motivation in the compulsory service," Zeibots said.