From the new york times, I'm sabrina tavern easy ends of the daily. russia, Military failures have defined its war against ukraine and simplified by a major attack this week in which dozens of russian soldiers were killed as they slept in their barracks today. My colleague Michael Schwartz, interviews russian soldiers and reveals new details. about how this military superpower keeps making the same mistakes, and why, despite all of that, it's soldiers keep going back to fight it's Wednesday generally forth so MIKE

you have been investigating this question. I think a lot of us have had those of us who ve been paying attention to the war in ukraine, and that is this that both Russia and I think to a certain extent. The world thought that russia would just role in and defeat the ukrainians outright right, like they ruined the capital. Take it in three days the war would be over, but that obviously didn't happen lignite even close, so you and our colleagues decided to take a deep look into how the russian forces failed so badly So tell me what you guys did write. What my colleagues and I decided to do is really drill down to the question of why. Why is it that this military, that the entire world thought why

is advanced was huge, was deadly was menacing. How were they unable to carry out the war plans that everybody invasion, that the russians and vision that the west envisioned and one of the important questions I wanted answer was the russians themselves viewed this war, what they thought of what they were doing and what they thought of their success. How they evaluated, therefore, formats, and so we really worked hard to try and find copies of russian correspondence diaries call logs battle plan and we went around and interviewed as many russian soldiers as we could find as well. This is in w camps. This is by phone russians that with

enact too. Who had been on the battlefield who had returned to russia. So tell me what you guys found. Where should we start or we can start at the beginning? And the thing that everybody needs to understand is just how overconfident the russians were they plan to take ukraine and topple the government in key of the capital trip for going around. sin from three directions, sees the government, and that would be the end of the war right. But when we started speaking to russian soldiers, we realise that they didn't have any idea. What that plan was a many of them didn't find out about it until the hours before the war began. I love to a corporal name. Nikita Jupiter he's a twenty seven year old soldier and a motorized infantry brigade, and he said he spent a month before the war in belarus, which is the country north of ukraine, on what he and his fellow soldiers were told as a training exercise, but what he did

It is more like camping, maybe no military exercises involve, and on february, twenty third, the day before the invasion was announced, he and his unit when their camps celebrating defender of the fatherland holiday, which is a russian national holiday for service members, and they were snacking on candy for the occasion when their commander approach and the commander told them only- and I am quoting tomorrow- you are going to create a fuck up some shit, he and beyond that they were given no further orders. Another soldier that we interviewed, who was station in belarus said he found out. He was going to war only an hour before his unit began to march, and the only order that he was given

was it. He was supposed to just drive shriek and follow the vehicle in front of him with no explanation beyond that. God, it's amazing it, meaning that they knew so little and were so ill prepared and to your point we were just over coffin. They thought it would be a cakewalk, but instead of the war being over quickly. I just started to drag on right, and this was devastating particularly for the russian troops on the ground and that first push into crane very quickly. They came under credibly heavy fire from ukrainian troops that were in smaller units in more nimble units and only or a lot of soldiers dying, but a lot of russia's most elite troops, leaders of the special forces units

these are the airborne units and hundreds and hundreds were killed? So the russians right out of the gate, lost a lot of their highly trained guys, and that was a huge problem for them. So how did they deal with it like? How did the russian military see away out of that six? They were it first thing they did- is pool of their troops out of northern ukraine and away from Keith. The plan was to reconcile update them in the east and the south and reconstitute some of these units that had been estimated, but what they really needed was more guys, so the kremlin military started. Try and find ways to bulk up their forces with more men. One of the things they did was turned to a mercenary group called vulgar that

add experience all over the middle east and africa, and these are highly trained soldiers, so in other words, because Russia unexpectedly loses all of their experienced guys in a sort of desperate move, they turned this group of hired guns. The Wagner group remind us who they are right. This is a group that got started coming on a decade ago and It has the appearance of a military contractor. It was started by this man by the name of yevgeny precaution. This is a business man who is catered kremlin events in the past and so he's a connection to Vladimir putin, caterer he, the caterer and a business man. He had very large contracts, catering, the military, catering, russian schools and he has been photographed serving vladimir Putin, food at different state functions and MIKE, why would a caterer run a militia

one of the mysteries of the wagner group how he got into running a militia. It is We in the last few months that provision has taken responsibility for founding the bognor group have in the past is denied, even though its existence and sue journalists who have alleged that he is behind. It are interesting. So was like a secret thing. It was a secret thing, but a very open secret. These guys have been operating all over the world. They been operating, libya in syria and basically, what this is its deniable arm of the russian military. It operates semi autonomously. As far as we know, based on our reporting they may decisions on their own, but they are definitely a tool in the kremlin's arsenal. They are pursuing the kremlin's geo political goals, only their deniable. So

wagner is operating somewhere in Syria gets into a little bit of trouble because of human rights violations doesn't happen. In fact the kremlin can say nothing about it. They don't know that these people are right interesting, but the point is that these guys have real military experience and that's not something you can save for the bulk of the russian military. The russian military hasn't fought a war.

Like this. In decades it looks like war war, one they are fighting over miles of territory. French warfare jockeying for position. Nobody has this kind of experience the nobody, but these wagner troops. Ok, so they go to this varner group, this catering guy for experienced met, namely, but what happens then like? What does he do or precautions role? Is that he's bring in these experience guys? But Russia also needs bodies, and precaution comes up with what you might call a creative solution. He starts recruiting. Men, from prisons to send to the front lines wealth. So that's a step right, you're, gonna, walk and then these very

start appearing of him going to these prisons and recruiting prisoners are more important than the mighty by any given this page pitch he's like look. You guys screwed you're in here you're a drain on the state how's about eternal life around and do something for the good of the country he zimbabwe if you survive, we will pardon you you'll, get a clean slate, you'll, be able to go back to your life and live a normal life back home. If you survive, if you dont survive on the other, I will gather violently shaggy and we're going to make further your honour, the organ be buried in a hallowed place there be awarded. You're not gonna, be remembered, as an inmate, is in your remembered as a here to russia, but your body of lobbyists and to people sign out, like our people in prisons buying what people

selling yeah me as far as we know that hundreds of these inmates have taken promotion upon this deal problem is there not always the most reliable soldiers must gain Eugenie familiar. I met with one of these prints soldiers by the name of the game, inclusion of his virtue affirmation of age. This guy is fifty five years old. He he's doing time for murder? He's been in prison for more than twenty years october and promotion comes to his prison in august. He's on the ground in ukraine by september,

yeah. I was going to throw percent that it doesn't show and his job he says basically, is to sit in a trench and by nightfall go out into the field of battle and collect the bodies of dead, vulgar soldiers, god. This is his job and it gives you a sense of the carnage. That's happening out there, but he doesn't stay. He doesn't say agrees with your sons. Officials does his plan all along, he said was to take this deal and escape, and that's just what he did a buzz. It's us, though, rosebush key of about the sum up, as it soon his second day at the front. He was going to go out and do his job of collecting bodies, but instead he wanted over the lines and came upon a very startled group of ukrainian soldiers who knocked him unconscious and tied him up and when he woke up

who's in ukrainian custody, which is where I met him in october and when he tell you which must first mooted the both of you have done that still does. He was proud of what he had done. I shall have fulfilled. Is thought a book on the list, and he told me that what good is Putin done in the time that he's been in power? Has he done? anything good that might be a monkey or something he said. He thinks that the war was going to be Putin's grave or shrubs, and especially versatile, but that didn't stop me and hundreds of wagner troops have been killed. The vast majority, according to ukraine's military intelligence, are these inmates who are simply sent to the front lines as best we can tell to serve as cannon fodder to draw the bullets.

of ukrainian forces and wear them down. Ok, so at the end of the day, the vulgar group is not turning the war around and, at the same time, its horrible carnage at the place where these guys are ending up so kind of can imagine why someone like you ve guinea, the guy. You talk to decided to flee right so MIKE what happened to you, ve own, you ve guinea, took this deal. Precaution issued a warning. He said that any of these inmates who decided to go along to ukraine and fight for russia, ukraine, if it found out. They deserted that they turn themselves in that they ran from the battlefield. There would be severe consequences. He said in one of his videos that they would be shy, and somehow after we spoke of guinea, ended up back into the hands of wagner fighters. While he was true

ass. It was result of a prisoner swap the ukrainians gave him back to the russians and the next time I saw him was in it Audio that appeared on line- and you have guineas head- was taped to block. Handing over him with this man in camouflage holding a sledge hammer.

And in this video you ve guinea speaks. He said he woke up in a basement and was told that he was gonna be judged and when he says that the man with the sledge hammer swings it down and crushes his skull, like, I think, an icy beheading there. It's very similar to that, and if there is any doubt about how precaution felt about it, he released a statement endorsing give guineas murder. He said you ve guinea, betrayed his people, betrayed his comrades, betrayed them consciously. He planned his escape newton is a trader. That's a statement that he put out shortly after the execution was carried out, and what I think is happening here is that this is something like a trial balloon. Russia is in danger in ukraine and it needs

illusions and promotion has been broadened to find solutions and he's come up with this extreme solution. This level of terror, of keeping control and keeping order among the ranks of russian soldiers in ukraine is not clear whether this type of treatment will be expanded to the rest of the russian military. But this is the kremlin's struggling to come up with answers for how to write the ship in ukraine and start making some aims we'll be right back. The showtime original series, your honor, is back with a vengeance starring

academy award nominee, Brian crashed as ex judge michael desi, otto facing the wreckage of his former life, Michael becomes ensnared in a federal agent scheme to destroy the bachelor family. Revenge can't bring back, Ghali's lost, but redemption offers a ray of hope with the chance to strike down the back, empire a violent corruption. Will this be Michael shot at redemption or his fine I'm doing the new season of your honor premiers Friday january thirteenth. Only on showtime, I'm They count? Shall it I'm the editor of the on politics newsletter at the new york times So I did around to find the big political stories in the ideas driving the news. I will do things like look into wise. Some on the laughter getting tired of the label progressive, I'll. Try to convince you. That was content is the most interesting state in american politics. Right now you mean politics, not just, campaigns in elections and the newsletter. I want to unpack, not just what,

happening, but why it's happening and try to explain it to myself, Then convey what I've learned to our readers on politics as part of a collection of newsletters just four times subscribers. These newsletters come from writers. You won't find anywhere else. Some share opinions, others commendations, and some like me, their expertise and passion for the important topics you care most about you'll, find on politics and oliver subscriber only newsletters at and why times, thou com, slash subscriber newsletters? So might you ve brought us to early fall? The russian militaries failed to live up to their own expectations over and over the casting about with their plans.

He's in plant sees losing tons of their own men and beginning to use brutal tactics to keep them in line, and we know that by September Putin announces a draft to get even more men. So what happens inside the russian military? At this point? What effect is that half of the one major effect that it has takes about two hundred and fifty three hundred thousand russian men who, for the first five six months of this war, had been watching it from the sidelines, essentially washing it on their couch, watching it on russian television and throws them onto the front lines.

with barely any training and really little sense of what they were supposed to be doing. I was able to contact several troops from russia's one hundred and fifty fifth naval infantry brigade, which is a unit based in russia's far far east, so about as far from ukraine as you can possibly get and still be in russia. I spoke to them. We after they had been drafted and they described a scene of utter horror and chaos. They entered the battlefield bumbling through these cratered farms in these fields, with no maps, no working, medical kits or walkie talkie is no ability to communicate with one another one platoon. Medic was a former bereaved

who had never had any medical training and they were ordered forward going through these fields with these ashley carve rifles that were made in the nineteen sixties and virtually nothing to eat Some of them had never fired a gun before those that had hadn't done so, since they were eighteen year old conscripts they had no artillery, they had no air cover they had very little ammunition, but when they are describing this, they said they weren't frightened by any of these conditions initially, because they were promised by their commanders that they never see combat. And it was only when ukrainian shells began crashing on their heads and ripping their comrades to pieces today,

realize that they had been duped, and I spoke to members of a single platoon. They went in with sixty men on march in a single day. Forty of them work here, tied in a single for our stretch in eastern ukraine. Wow I mean that is truly cannon, fodder, exactly I mean it's like the russian military is not learning at all like it's just failure, after failure and you'd think at some point, they'd recalibrate, but they aren't like they just keep going with this. Throw bodies at this problem and have them destroyed

and that's the problem that we identified at the very beginning of the war and these problems have persisted throughout and the soldiers that I talked to from the one hundred and fifty fifth, they understood that intrinsically I spoke to one of the survivors, a russian soldier named Alexander as he recovered in a military hospital in the south of russia and what he said is we know when he looked out over the battlefield. All he saw were legs and guts and meet. He said. I know it sounds terrible, but you can't describe it any other way. People were turned into hamburger god, unlike what was his feeling after all of this, like you were talking to him from a military hospital, after of course, he'd already been wounded and made it back to russia, like with the angry at the military, like his commanders, I mean the thing that enraged and most were the lies. He was lied to

the russian media, which told him from his couch in far eastern russia when he was watching this war in its early months, that everything was going according to plan that everything is going well, he was lied to buy his commanders, who said that he was only going to be involved in a support role and wouldn't be front lines. These were people who were utterly on equips to be sent into war, and yet they were sent into war. Anyway. Alexander told me that he was draft in september, along with three of his clothes childhood friends. He

he was in the hospital from a severe concussion from the shelling that his unit had come under another one of these four friends that suffered similar injuries was in the hospital for a concussion one lost both legs and the fourth is missing. Ah, that's devastating and just complete disregard for human life right, but what he told me is He fully expect to be discharged from the hospital given that his injuries are light and it went it does he'll be going back to ukraine and that he's going to be doing so willingly. Really he may be opposed to how the war is being conducted, but he's not opposed to the war. But why would he go back MIKE after all of this, the loss of his friends? What he saw

like why he doesn't the thing that I found most fascinating about alexander. Is he understood that the russian soldiers on the ground are being treated like crap? He understood that the war is going poorly, despite what the russian propaganda is telling him. But his ultimate conclusion is that there is nothing you can do about it. You know that this is his lot in life. It's this sort of ambivalent fatalism that you me when you talk to a lot of these soldiers you, don't mean our conversation. This is how we were raised. We grew up in our country, understand

that it doesn't matter how our country treats us. Maybe this is bad. Maybe this is good. Maybe there are things that we do not like about our government, but he added when a situation like this arises, we get up and go. It is the eternal mystery if russia- and I think it really shows that this work and continue on because of people like alexander who are suffering the most of it and who were aware that their just treated like trash. If these people willing to get up and go back ukraine and continue this war. Who's gonna put a stop to it, yeah, no matter how many tactical errors, the russian military, makes overconfident, how resistant to learning lessons? Despite all of that,

the kremlin knows it can count on people just going along with things, and that means this could go on for a long long time. Exactly make? Thank you. My pleasure and we'll be right back here what you need to know today, madam clerk, on behalf of the house, from other conference, I rise today, denominate the gentleman from California, Kevin Mccarthy, a speaker of the house lead america's new republican majority,

in a dramatic revolt against their own leader. A group of hard right republicans rejected representative Kevin Mccarthy, as the next speaker of the house in three different round of voting, denying him the two hundred and eighteen votes that he needed. No person Having received a majority of the whole number of votes cast by surname, a speaker has not been elected. It was a humiliating set back from a party whose struggled to persuade rightwing lawmakers to trust him. Mccarthy could only afford to lose the votes of four republican colleagues. Instead, he lost as many as twenty.

After the third round of voting the house adjourned without having chosen the leader, something that has not happened in nearly a hundred years. Following the procedure used by the house in nineteen twenty three, the park is prepared to direct the reading to call a role a new under house rules. Voting for speaker will resume later today and will continue until a speaker is elected and do more hamblin the buffalo bills. Defensive back, remained in critical condition on tuesday after he went into cardiac arrest. Following a routine tackle during a primetime, nfl came in a highly unusual decisions. The nfl suspended the game after hamelin collapsed on the field. It was the latest incident to raise questions about player safety in professional football. Today's episode was produced by clare, tennis, gutter and luke vanderpool. It was edited by

george and lisa chow withheld from page cow. It contains translations by anastasius silva original music by rohingya misto and was engineered by Chris. Would our theme, music is by Jim Burke and by means of wonderingly, The. the daily I'm sabrina tavern, you see we'll see tomorrow.