““In the army, the most elementary things turn into a problem.” Commander of the 15th Arth Intelligence Brigade-About what to study in civilians on April 3, 09:32 to share: the officer of the Armed Forces Alexander Popov has 23 years of army experience, but openly recognizes the shortcomings of the modern Ukrainian army (photo: from the archive of Alexander Popov). He commits military”, – WRITE ON: ua.news
The Armed Forces officer Alexander Popov has 23 years of army experience, but frankly recognizes the shortcomings of the modern Ukrainian army (photo: from the archive of Alexander Popov)
Russia does not stop the offensive for a day, firets cities and villages, kills civilians, commit military crimes. The Ukrainian army lacks people and weapons. But hundreds of thousands of citizens continue to defend the country and destroy the enemy. New leaders improve irreversible army structures, taking responsibility for their directions. Ukrainian School of Political Studies (Ushps) spoke with her three graduates who are now at war, that it is the most important in managing people at the front and that they are experiencing at this stage of war. Another interlocutor is Alexander Popov, commander of the 15th Brigade of Artillery Intelligence Black Forest.
For 23 years, held in the army, Alexander Popov is no longer surprised. He can openly speak of the disadvantages that are inside this giant structure. In 2022 he became the commander of the 15th Brigade of Artillery Intelligence, the Black Forest, which formed after the beginning of a full-scale invasion of military and former civilians. People who have not been associated with the army are treated differently to solving difficult tasks, says Popov, so he learned a lot from them, although he has his own considerable practical experience of combat work.
The Black Forest Brigade is the only one in the Armed Forces, responsible for artillery intelligence and works all over the front. The commander does not speak publicly about the details of this work. Instead, the USFP graduate in 2024 tells how the technical means of intelligence changed over time and what is the philosophy of managing the military team.
“When you are a native of a military family, all your childhood is in the military unit. Instead of children in the kindergarten, you spend time with a soldier that steers the car. In the afternoon, your father brings you somewhere, takes away in the evening. You just no longer imagine another life. “
“The end of the eighth grade, the father calls and says, “Have you been going to be a military man at all?” I was 14 then. I say, “Yes, of course.” “Then a week later we go with you to apply to a military lyceum,” he says. So I got to the Chernihiv Military Lyceum, where my acquaintance with the army began. Three years of lyceum, then higher education. The choice fell at the Sumy Military Institute of Missile Forces and Artillery, where I studied four courses. In 2007 it was disbanded. I graduated from the Fifth year at the Lviv Institute of Land Forces, which later became the National Academy. ”
“In some sense, I am a purebred artillery intelligence officer, because all 23 years in the army was in positions that were associated with arthravens. No step aside, except for one 10-month business trip in Africa. I returned to Ukraine in May 2014. A week later, he arrived in his unit at the Crimean isthmus near Chongar. Due to the exacerbation and expansion of hostilities in the East, he was tasked with moving from the Crimean isthmus. And so it all turned … East is a region that I never knew and had no connections with, and now I know it most. “
“Artillery intelligence existed in all years of Ukraine’s independence. But by 2014, we had a very old weapon and equipment park. Some samples are so ancient that there was no point in using them. There was no real combat and psychological preparation for the actions that began to take place. Understanding how to fight and what to do to complete the task, to remain alive, to protect weapons and equipment, it has come on the battlefield. “
“Today, artillery intelligence has just reached space compared to 2014. We started getting the first drones in 2015. Until it seemed something far and unreal. Also in 2015, the first American radar stations began to come to us. Then – new means of optical intelligence, rangefinder, surveillance devices. Software began to create, which helped us a lot. Nettle maps, an information system of situational awareness of Delta is what is used primarily in artillery, in artillery intelligence in particular. ”
“There are no better unmanned aviation complexes than Ukrainian! There are products that are above the heads of foreign analogues that we also use. These are remedies for electronic wrestling, radio intelligence. If in 2022 there were units, now everything was scale. ”
“By 2022, we fought on the old rags, but kept, pulled up on the reserves that remained. The Russians came in 2022 on new technology. But they no longer have any new. They rapidly remove everything they had. Although Russia is trying to increase production, but in fact it is very seriously experiencing the consequences of war, which would not be said in their propaganda media. “
“Our brigade was formed on March 15, 2022. At the time of creation, we completed the task in Kiev. Initially, I was the head of the staff for its formation, then we carried out the coordination of units and after a while, since May 2022, our units left east and south. “
“On August 10, 2022, I became the brigade commander. 99% of people come to the military unit themselves. There is a “sundress radio”: each of our servicemen has a circle of communication in one way or another, which has those who come to us. There are also resources that have our vacancies, such as work.ua, lobby X, dou. Of the 20 people, we can select 5–7 because we need to operate high -tech equipment and weapons, and this requires some skills. Through training centers, we pick up general professions – drivers, cooks. “
“The peculiarity of our military unit is that it operates on the wide front in small groups. After the interview, everyone is also psychological selection, because the microclimate inside is very important. For this we have a staff group of psychologists. Unfortunately, not all selected fighters meet expectations, then they go to service to other military units. The 15th brigade is not the place where you can hide. Given the power of the enemy, we must show not just the result, but the cool result, to act effectively. Therefore, a person should not only master the technical tool, but also develop constantly. Some things I have been opening up for myself even now, despite the fact that it has been in the war for 11 years. “
“After the selection of beginners, they are first sent for general military training, then they return to part – and they are still taught to work with a specific type of weapon. This is not because the training center where BZVP is held is bad. Our weapons are not widespread, some things are only here. In addition, there are a lot of related questions about providing, tactics, movement, masking, engineering equipment. We teach all this. Entry into the service is in stages. “
“When you are fighting for a long time, everything is really simple. If something was very worried before, now it is like drinking coffee in a coffee shop. Issues are solved at the level of platoon commanders, batteries, divisions. I ask a course, a pace and to touch on questions that require my solution directly. And the units work quite autonomously. “
“From the experience of working with the former civilians, I have given a lot. The consciousness and process of thinking of the military man and civilian are very different. The military live in their own bubble. They get into it from the first day, when the checkpoint of the educational institution is crossed. For example, I remember the case as 18-year-old guys were lining up to take the first time in the dining room. The sergeant gave them the score, they did not work out, they were turned back, and at the same time they were covered. Watching the side of this picture, I asked my first platoon commander, who stood side by side: “Why did they shout at them if no one taught them what to do?” He looked at me and said, “It will be difficult for you in the army, you think too much.”
“From that moment on I started to understand something. The philosophy of building relationships in the military team during the years of study and service multiplies creativity and individuality by zero. Because everything in the army should be the same, even and perpendicular. I wanted to cry when the Major Teachers came and said, “This issue should be approached creatively!” How can you approach something if creativity has already been killed in principle? Someone will say: what you are so smart, and for 23 years in the army. But I always tried to treat this surrealism inside as a quest and therefore did not lose the ability to see. “
“Civilians who came into the army helped to understand that some things can be done very easy. In the military, often the most elementary thing turns into a big problem. So for a very long time I tried to absorb the way of thinking of civilians and impose it on military knowledge. And I advise everyone not to create artificial problems for each other and to go the shortest, the easiest way. I am surprising only that some of the military, already with the experience of this war, have not been able to adapt and change themselves. ”
“A fighter is not a wand in a report.” The mortar battery commander openly lists the main problems of the army and advises how to call the Armed Forces soldiers
“Two years ago, I still felt positive emotions when the enemy or staff technique was destroyed. And now I look at it calmly, as on the signboard of a grocery store, and I have no emotions. It’s just one of the thousands of steps to take daily to win. “