In a recent address to the State Duma, former Commander of the Airborne Forces Vladimir Shamanov criticized the quality of military supplies provided to the Russian army.
He described the current state of the army as resembling a guerrilla unit due to the poor quality of issued gear, forcing soldiers to purchase their own equipment.
Shamanov, now Deputy Chairman of the Committee on the Development of Civil Society, Public, and Religious Associations, highlighted the dire situation faced by servicemen. “Those who have been on the front lines know that today’s army looks like a guerrilla unit. It outfits itself with its own money and the support of relatives because the quality of the issued gear is beyond evaluation,” he stated during the plenary session.
He also directed his criticism towards the generals, referring to them as a “different army” that is well-dressed and equipped. “The ordinary soldier cannot access the tailor shops where they outfit themselves. If we undressed them, we would see what they really wear. When they start buying everything with their own money, not the people’s money, then we will properly outfit our army,” Shamanov added.
Vladimir Shamanov has a distinguished military and political career. In the 1990s, he commanded a group of Defense Ministry troops in Chechnya, and from 1999 to 2000, he led the 58th Combined Arms Army, earning the title of Hero of Russia. In 2000, he was elected governor of Ulyanovsk Oblast, a position he held until November 2004 when he was appointed assistant to the prime minister. He left this position in March 2006 and was appointed Commander of the Russian Airborne Forces in 2009. He attained the rank of Colonel General in 2012. In 2016, Shamanov retired from active duty after being elected as a State Duma deputy.
