The concept “Fire destruction of the enemy” : a key to understand Russian tactical development in the Russo-Ukrainian War?

The Russian military concept of “fire destruction of the enemy” (ognevoye porazheniye protivnika) has long been central to Russian tactics. Often, it has a very prominent position in field manuals (Boevoy Ustav [Field Manual, Brigade], 2011; Boevoy Ustav [Field Manual, Division, Brigade, Regiment], 2013). It is a conceptualization of how to effectively structure the use of firepower in order to achieve decisive effects on the opponent. Importantly, the continuity in Russian military theory often makes these kinds of concepts important in introducing new technology and new methods. This has also played a role in the Russian development in the Ukraine War and will, as this paper will argue, continue to shape Russian tactical development in the foreseeable future.