Russia is adapting in Ukraine and also learning from NATO tactics — experts

Washington DC — Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze has stated that Russia is reconstituting its forces by redirecting every element in the country toward its war in Ukraine, adding that Russia has been "learning and integrating" its lessons from the conflict.

"There is not one element, one instrument of power in Russia that would not be oriented towards the war. So Russia's policy is war. And when we look at the military instrument of power, economics, politics, religion, education, system, anything, it's all about war," Braze said on Wednesday during the c in the US capital.

On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington DC, the Alliance's leaders as well as international security experts were speaking at the Forum.

While emphasising that there is no direct military threat to NATO members in the short term, Braze noted, "That doesn't mean that Russia is not learning."

"Russia is learning, and it is integrating its lessons in Ukraine. It is changing its ambition. It is returning to a different command structure, at least on the paper. Show you, show us doctrine," she added.

Braze added, "Our problem is not to support Ukraine, our problem is Russia."

Is Russia reconstituting its forces?

Dara Massico, Senior Fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Program of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, explained that while Ukraine and NATO currently hold a strategic advantage, this edge is "not guaranteed."

She noted that Russia has begun to adapt and learn from its unexpected mistakes after the initial six months of the war.

"Ukraine and NATO have the advantage in terms of understanding intentions and how things are being played out on the battlefield. That advantage, just like any intelligence, is not guaranteed," Massico said.

"We have seen them [Russia] make a lot of unexpected mistakes in the first six months of the war, and then that learning phase kicked in."

Massico highlighted three key reasons for Russia's reconstitution of its forces: restoring a sufficient level of combat capability, increasing proficiency and knowledge about their enemies' capabilities, and crucially, not wanting to revert to their pre-war state.

"We should not assume that they’re going to go back to what they were before the war. It's going to be different. They have changed. Ukraine has changed. We have all changed in various ways," she added.

She also warned that Russia might leverage the insights gained about NATO's capabilities and weaponry to strengthen its alliances with countries like China, Iran, and North Korea.

"Russia's allies and partners are learning from them, and this is now a currency that Russia has to give to Iran, China, North Korea, that learning of our equipment," Massico said.

The expert remarks came as NATO leaders, at their summit in Washington, pledged at least $43 billion in military aid to Ukraine "within the next year" to bolster its fight against Russia.

"Through proportional contributions, Allies intend to provide a minimum baseline funding of 40 billion euros [$43 billion] within the next year, and to provide sustainable levels of security assistance for Ukraine to prevail," a declaration from the summit stated.