Fascinating and important read about Russian military logistics and what it means for various strategies in Europe.
“No other European nation uses railroads to the extent that the Russian army does.“
“The rub is that Russian railroads are a wider gauge than the rest of Europe. Only former Soviet nations and Finland still use the Russian standard — this includes the Baltic states.“
Interesting side note – Russia can thank the US for this standard, namely George Washington Whistler (father of the famous painter!). The US was looking out for its European allies all the way back in the 1840s.
In summary – “they are not capable of a sustained ground offensive far beyond Russian railroads without a major logistical halt or a massive mobilization of reserves.“
