Russia’s Desperate Tactics – Soldiers Without Armor!

A serious-looking man in a suit at a press conference with a blue background

Russia’s military is collapsing under the weight of its own failures, now sending soldiers into battle without helmets or body armor—a desperate admission that Moscow can no longer sustain even basic combat readiness.

Story Snapshot

Ukrainian frontline commanders report 80% of Russian assault groups deploy without helmets, marking a sharp escalation from near-zero incidents last year
Russian economic constraints and catastrophic casualty rates have created systemic equipment shortages that Moscow cannot replace
The practice reveals Russian military logistics are failing and Putin’s forces are adapting through high-casualty tactics rather than conventional supply management
Ukrainian forces continue repelling daily Russian attacks while documenting the tactical and logistical degradation of Russian operations

Systemic Collapse in Russian Military Logistics

The Telegraph’s November 29, 2025 investigation documents a disturbing trend: Russian military command is systematically deploying assault troops without basic protective equipment. Deputy Commander Ihor Komok of Ukraine’s 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade observed that helmets were worn in only four of the last twenty assault groups—an 80% deficit rate.

This represents a fundamental departure from earlier conflict phases when such equipment shortages were practically nonexistent. The shift indicates Russian logistics have deteriorated from manageable constraints to systemic failure.

Economic Constraints Driving Tactical Desperation

Ukrainian security analyst Dmytro Zhmailo attributes the phenomenon to three interconnected failures: Russia’s mounting casualty rates have created equipment attrition that outpaces production capacity, international sanctions have crippled Russia’s ability to manufacture replacement gear at required scales, and Moscow’s reliance on mass infantry assaults has created demand for troops exceeding available protective equipment.

Russia’s economic difficulties have transformed what began as supply chain friction into systemic inability to sustain conventional military operations. This economic dimension reveals deeper vulnerabilities in Putin’s war machine than tactical adjustments alone could address.

High-Casualty Tactics Replace Conventional Warfare

Rather than addressing equipment shortages through logistics management, Russian military command has adapted by accepting catastrophic casualty rates as operational cost. Soldiers deployed without helmets suffer disproportionately high casualties, with most killed before reaching defensive positions.

Ukrainian forces document troops functioning as “camels”—ammunition carriers forced to retrieve weapons from fallen comrades. This substitution of personnel for material resources indicates Russian command has normalized sending conscripts, prisoners, and mobilized reservists into predictable slaughter. The practice transforms individual soldiers into expendable assets rather than military personnel.

What This Reveals About Russian Military Capacity

The widespread deployment of unequipped troops signals that Russia’s military sustainability is declining. Ukrainian forces continue repelling dozens of attacks daily in the Lyman direction, with Russian forces maintaining assault operations despite documented equipment shortages.

The consistency of this practice across multiple frontline sectors suggests systemic rather than isolated causation. If Russia cannot provide basic protective gear after nearly four years of conflict, questions emerge about its capacity to sustain operations at current intensity levels or adapt to changing battlefield conditions.

The evidence from Ukrainian military commanders, security analysts, and battlefield documentation presents a coherent narrative: Russia’s military is operating under severe constraints that force choice between accepting massive casualties or modifying operational tempo. Moscow appears to have chosen the former, sending unequipped soldiers into predictable defensive positions where Ukrainian forces systematically eliminate them. This represents not tactical innovation but admission of logistical defeat.