'Sending their best' - Debunking the myth of Russian 'cannon fodder' in Ukraine

In any conflict, there are always going to be myths that emerge.

Stop me if you've heard some version of this one over the last few weeks:

"Russia isn't sending their best troops/equipment. They just sent in the conscripts first to soften the Ukrainians up. Any day now the real troops will go in with updated gear and you'll see!"

No.

Russian visually confirmed equipment losses paint a very clear picture and it's this: If anything, the better equipment and units are paying a disproportionately high price in this campaign to date.

I am not saying Russians have been well trained or well supplied. I'm not saying that they haven't used conscripts. I'm not even saying that they haven't shown a disregard for casualties. All I'm saying is that there is no evidence that Russia is holding back it's best men or materiel.

In this video, I look at the myth, the available evidence, and present sources you can use yourself.

My genuine thanks to those working hard to document visually confirmed losses in Ukraine. Their work makes these kinds of analyses possible

[BeauoftheFifthColumn]

I was sent your videos by somebody saying you're a gamer. I have no idea what your background is, but this was my field for years. Your videos are better than 90% of the takes I've seen by pro analysts. You missed your calling.

[emilz]

Russia has a large and modern army. However, the large army isn’t modern, and the modern army isn’t large.

[DoctorDinosaur]

"They are throwing in absolute trash, like this T-72"

*T-54 starts sweating*

[tarron]

"Ha! I wasn't even trying!"
- Literally every bully ever getting a bloody nose

[wafu]

This video, 7 months later hits hard and goes to show the depth and detail of your analysis because now that we do have hindsight, you are about 99% accurate.

[ChrischiTutorialLPs]

The reason why this myth exists is that people cannot fathom the idea that a country everyone feared would march to the Rhine in a week for half a century would now suddenly suck so hard it couldn't even beat Ukraine.

[xKruzr]

"so I do want to make a couple more, "
NARRATOR VOICE: "It would, in fact, be quite a few more than a couple."

[hinefamily]

As a rule of thumb you send in your best troops with the best equipment to engage and push, your 2nd and 3rd line units follow up and hold captured territory. This gives you less experienced troops a learning curve without throwing them directly into the line of fire en mass.

[JosephLupoli]

"Ivan, the 3-month conscript, wasn't pulling air-assault duty at Hostomel." LOL! That line is funny as hell!

[Andriej]

Something my mother kept telling me was finally proven right before my very eyes: "Russian army only looks intimidating on parades and nowhere else"

[holyrivals]

No one chooses to humiliate themselves on the world stage. You don’t need to overthink it. This is their best. It’s not fooling anyone.

[mayuzanevideos]

When I saw the Ka-52 combat helicopters, the Spetsnaz, the VDV paratroopers, I knew there was no way they weren't sending the best they had. The Russian military underestimated their opponent, and the Ukrainians surprised the hell out of them.

[Sebastian-ylnq]

As I was saying to my friend, who too had this idea in mind “This is just the first wave”

“What if this IS the Russian military?!”
Why would anyone try a BlitZZkrieg but send in the worst of the worst to give the enemy enough time to recover from this surprise attack and take good defensive positions?!

[kevinhacken]

The fact that the Moskva was sunk would seem to prove your point.

[Guntank]

"I'm going to make a few more of these."

30 videos and 7 months later 🤣

Keep up the good work Perun.

[trident]

The finnish military intelligence noticed that the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade was sent away from Pechenga ( Petsamo) north of Finland when the war started. It was one of the two arctic brigades with special training. It has allegedly suffered heavy losses near Kharkiv and is currently withdrawn because of the losses making it unable to operate anymore. Furthermore they noticed that the base Alakurtti 50 km from the finnish border in the north has been depleted of units.

[carpenter]

I do believe it was in "Lions for Lambs" where the U.S. Marines were asked why you don't want to engage an enemy for a long time. The answer was that they'll adapt to their tactics. The Ukrainians have had 8 years of training to adapt to the Russian's tactics.

[covenant]

Russian military experts: minute now... any minute now... there! You see! Oh wait... thats farm tractor... rinse/repeat

[edmundmunday]

Watching this in mid 2023 hearing Perun talk about the "Absolute Trash" we've seen, referencing old-spec T-72's. If sweet innocent Perun from 2022 could only imagine what he was going to see over the next 12 months... Trash has been redefined...

[tibmmdy]

time proves You right on many takes if not all. many words were confirmed by our Ukrainian military analysts, who are ex high ranking officers.
- why generals are dying still to this day? 1) chain of command falls and they had been sent to oversee it. there were also (how do you call them?) field generals, there were fsb generals too.
- hidden partial mobilization in russian regions proves heavy losses.
- 3 months and old T-64 on the field proves losses in tanks.
- recently it was confirmed death of ex general of air forces. we can at least make an assumption that russia is loosing pilots. or old dog have decided to go for the last flight.
- in Kyiv region journalists identyfied many Vagner group fighters commiting war crimes. those bastards have Syria and Ukrain 2015 experience. i'm talking about killing the civillians war crimes. some witnesses survived and have helped to identify them.
p.s. I apologise for my bad English.