Got a question? Or want to read other answers? Click here.New titles: Our Dining Table, Future. However, Mr Putin has no military experience, and is evidently angry that President Zelenskyy continues to take the initiative in this conflict.ĭespite draining the limited supplies of cruise missiles and drones that his military should be using to target Ukrainian logistics and supply lines, Mr Putin is directing continued attacks against the civilian population to vent his frustration at Mr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. Missile attacks against the Ukrainian capital Kyiv do not further the Russian military aims indeed, the British experience of the Blitz during the Second World War was that it galvanised the nation's resistance and determination to prevail.

The Russian missile and drone attacks against civilian populations are a great example of this political influence. However, in autocracies, the military is often more overtly subordinated to the political leadership - autocratic leaders are usually suspicious about the military as unlike the general population, they have the ability to mount a coup and depose a leader.Īs a result, in Vladimir Putin's Russia the military will have very limited latitude to conduct military operations without overt political intervention. Perhaps inevitably, conflicts rarely go according to plan, and unless one side achieves outright victory, compromises are often required to bring a cessation to hostilities that is where the politicians take the lead once more. Politicians maintain close interest in the conduct of the conflict, but usually leave the detailed planning and conduct to the military experts. In a democracy, once the political leadership has exhausted alternative ways to avert a conflict, they direct the desired end-state, and it is then up to the military leadership to develop the strategy to achieve that outcome. Military expert Sean Bell has tackled this one. Today's question is from Rohan, who asks: Who in Russia actually makes the decision to fire rockets at strategic Ukrainian targets? Is it Putin or does he leave this to his generals to decide? Our military experts and senior correspondents have been answering your questions on the Ukraine war.

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