The Evolution of Russian Military Doctrine and the Return of Mass Warfare

The war in Ukraine has revealed a profound evolution in Russian military doctrine, marking a departure from the pursuit of technological sophistication toward the revival of mass warfare. After years of reform focused on efficiency, precision, and limited operations, Russia has embraced an industrial and attritional approach reminiscent of Soviet patterns. This shift is not a regression but an adaptation to structural realities and political objectives. The Kremlin has concluded that quantity, endurance, and the capacity to absorb losses constitute more reliable instruments of coercion than precision or maneuver. The resulting model blends old and new—combining twentieth-century mass mobilization with twenty-first-century enablers such as drones, electronic warfare, and long-range fires. The outcome is an army less refined but more resilient, designed not to win rapidly but to exhaust its adversaries and demonstrate staying power.