Ukrainians are eavesdropping on the invaders and broadcasting on their frequencies

A Russian soldier speaks on a two-way radio along the M4 highway by the town of Tal Tamr on May 25, 2020, as Russian and US soldiers prepare to open up the road to civilian traffic between the border towns of Kobane and Tal Tamr for the first time since a Turkish-backed invasion last year saw the route closed. (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

ONE OF THE many surprising failures of the Russian invasion force in Ukraine has been in radio communications. There have been stories of troops resorting to commercial walkie-talkies and Ukrainians intercepting their frequencies. This may not sound as serious as a lack of modern tanks or missiles, but it helps explain why Russian forces seem poorly co-ordinated, are falling victim to ambushes and have lost so many troops, reportedly including seven generals. What is going wrong with Russian radios?

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