How Poor Maintenance Loses Wars - 2022, Ukraine Maintains

A new section from Stewart Brand's Maintenance on Books in Progress

Another digression on sustainment from Stewart Brand establishes how maintenance is crucial during the wars of today:

THE UKRAINE WAR that started in 2022 turned dramatically on sustainment issues, amid surprising echoes of the 1973 October War.

When Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, they were confident that conquering the capital city of Kyiv and overthrowing the government could be done quickly with a massive show of force. Just eight years earlier in 2014 they had crushed the Ukrainian Army in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Senior officers in the invading force were told to pack their parade dress uniforms for the victory celebration in Kyiv.

Some outspoken American intelligence officers told the media they had the same expectation. The day after the invasion, America’s news was full of grim predictions such as: “Three U.S. officials have told Newsweek they expect Ukraine's capital Kyiv to fall to incoming Russian forces within days, and the country's resistance to be effectively neutralized soon thereafter.”¹

Read and collaborate on the piece here.

1. Jamali, N., Brennan, D., & O’Connor, T. (2022b, February 25). Exclusive: U.S. Expects Kyiv to Fall in Days as Ukraine Source Warns of Encirclement. Newsweek.