 "Moscow accused of ‘scorched-earth’ tactics in Bakhmut: What does this mean?")
As the Ukraine war rages, Kyiv has accused Moscow of resorting to ‘scorched-earth’ tactics in eastern Donetsk’s Bahkmut. “The enemy switched to so-called scorched earth tactics from Syria. It is destroying buildings and positions with air strikes and artillery fire,” Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, said. But what are ‘scorched-earth’ tactics? Let’s take a closer look: The ‘scorched-earth’ policy refers to an army – usually on the retreat –destroying anything an attacking enemy force could possibly use – from food to water, crops, and even the earth itself – as a resource. According to the website, Journal of India scorched-earth tactics are used in an attempt to break the will of the enemy.
As per Study.com, the tactics themselves date back to ancient times.
Perhaps the first recorded example of such tactics comes from when ancient Scythia took on the Persian Empire of Darius the Great. When Darius invaded ancient Scythia in 513, the Scythians began systematically destroying anything the invading forces could use to bolster themselves. The Scythians, rather than give battle to the Persians, hid after destroying food and poisoning water bodies. Another famous example in the ancient world was when Vercingetorix deployed this tactic against Roman general Julius Caesar in Gaul. Vercingetorix, who would unite the myriad tribe of Gaul, would ultimately fail in his attempt to stymie Ceasar. The American Civil War saw another notable example of ‘scorched-earth’ tactics – employed by the North and Union General William T Sherman against the South. This ploy, which is an example of the scorched-earth policy being deployed as an offensive weapon, is thought to have inflicted losses of around $100 million on South. It is also thought to have crushed the South’s resolve to continue the conflict. The Russian Army has previously used such tactics against the German army in 1915 and during the Second World War, as per Journals of India. Maratha leader Chhatrapati Shivaji’s troops were also famed for employing this tactic – though historians say they were ordered to avoid killing civilians and despoiling holy sites. [caption id=“attachment_10475061” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s troops were famed for their scorched-earth tactics. PTI[/caption] In modern times, this term only entered the lexicon in 1937 – when it was used to refer to the battles between China and Japan, as per Study.com. There are four main principles behind this tactic:
- The defenders must have much more familiarity with their terrain and must possess resources
- They must have access to other resources
- The enemy troops must not have enough supplies to survive
- The devastation must be employed strategically
According to Journals of India website, the 1977 Geneva convention outlawed this strategy being aimed at civilians. Russia pounds Bakhmut Kyiv said the Russians were pounding Ukrainian positions around besieged Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region and other cities and towns with air strikes and artillery barrages. The small city on the edge of a chunk of Russian-controlled territory in Donetsk has for months been the biggest battleground of the war, now in its second year. The head of the Moscow-controlled part of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, said Russian forces now held 75 per cent of the city. Moscow’s military was also targeting the city of Avdiivka. “The Russians have turned Avdiivka into a total ruin,” said Pavlo Kyrylenko, Donetsk’s regional governor, describing an air strike on Monday that destroyed a multi-storey building.
“In total, around 1,800 people remain in Avdiivka, all of whom risk their lives every day.”
As the battles ground on, US media outlet CNN reported that Ukraine had been forced to amend some military plans ahead of its long-anticipated counter-offensive because of the leak of U.S. documents. US officials are trying to trace the source of the leak of dozens of secret documents. They detail an array of topics, including information on the Ukraine conflict, in which the United States has supplied Kyiv with huge amounts of weapons and led international condemnation of Moscow’s invasion. Asked about the report, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said Kyiv’s strategic plans remained unchanged but that specific tactics were always subject to change. The secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, told Reuters: “The opinion of people who have nothing to do with this do not interest us… The circle of people who possess information is extremely restricted.” Some national security experts and US officials say they suspect the leaker could be American, but they do not rule out pro-Russian actors. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the leak, but added: “There is in fact a tendency to always blame everything on Russia. It is, in general, a disease.” With inputs from agencies
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