Russian Military ‘Producing Maps that Ignore Operational Realities,’ Milbloggers Furious

A Russian milblogger claimed on social media that Russian General Staff have been using maps that differ from the real situation on the front-line forcing its soldiers to conduct operations based on these false depictions, according to first-hand accounts from Russian military on the front line.

Milblogger Roman Alekhine, who describes himself as a “military volunteer” on his Telegram channel, posted an update claiming soldiers informed him of the existing of two versions of Russian battlefield maps – one that corresponds to frontline reality and the other based on the General Staff’s version.

Alekhine said “[...] because there are two maps – one real, which we see and you see, and the other for the General Staff, on which there are completely different layouts.

“So, they are driving the fighters in order to bring the real map closer to the General Staff map,” he added.

He called the approach “unrealistic” as the General Staff “demands more and more positive reports” with its own assessments portraying much faster progress than reality on the front-line forcing soldiers to “catch up” with it.

He described the move as “postscripts and embellishments” and the biggest obstacle to Russian victory.

Another milblogger called “Two Majors” pointed out that while poor coordination between Russian command and frontline troops was not unheard of, it was usually “limited to the battalion/regiment level.” However, this was the first time he had heard about the need for operations having to be planned in “compliance” with the General Staff’s maps.

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In his Telegram update, the milblogger also described a typical situation within the Russian military where frontline troops had failed to report their forward movement or withdrawals, which led to false and inaccurate data, ultimately affecting battlefield assessments – a likely reason why the General Staff is producing inaccurate maps.

An earlier Institute for the Study of War (ISW) report from September seems to corroborate these claims. It said false reports signified a “culture of lying” within the Russian military, and milbloggers and ultranationalists in Russia had voiced similar concerns and frustrations before.

Observers and analysts have long pointed out that Russia’s poor logistics and coordination were negatively impacting on its war in Ukraine, which has plagued the Russian military since the offset of the invasion.