PARIS: War is decided in offices but is fought on the ground.The shortcomings of the Russian army since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict reveal in this respect the glaring insufficiencies of its management of men.From the first days of the Russian invasion, on February 24, it appeared that the soldiers sent to the front did not know their objectives.Some units even thought of going on a maneuver.“The Russian army is the army of lies”, declared in May the chief of staff of the French armies, general Thierry Burkhard.“People lied saying that the Ukrainian army would not fight, that the Russian forces were ready for war, that the leaders knew how to command”.Six months later, Western analysts still describe an army plagued by lies and corruption."Senior officers only dream of medals and of looking after their careers. But the soldiers only want to survive", assures AFP Alexandre Grinberg, analyst of the Institute for Security and Strategy in Jerusalem (JISS).At the top of the hierarchy, President Vladimir "Putin demands unachievable results. And no one can tell him the truth, even in private", adds this former member of Israeli military intelligence."Is it possible that a brave officer dares to think outside the box? Yes, but there will remain an exception that will not change much on the ground" except "to limit the damage and save lives".Faced with a highly destructive conflict in equipment and men, the Russian army - whose precise losses remain unknown - was quickly confronted with problems of management of men.Desertion, refusal to obey, low morale.Several generals and a large number of officers have also fallen on the field of honour, further paralyzing a chain of command already described as not very responsive.However, their replacement is all the more complicated as the various levels of the armies are carelessly formed."There is a problem with the training of cadres, in particular the absence of a corps of non-commissioned officers in the Russian army", considers a senior French military official, who notes that the non-commissioned officers are taken from among the most old.But "a non-commissioned officer is an expert in his field", he assures.And "when the only relationship with his subordinates is the balance of power, when it is only the oldest and strongest who becomes a non-commissioned officer", it is complicated to "go on the attack".Strengthened by its flattering image inherited from the glory days of the Red Army, sometimes viewed even in Western military staffs through the prism of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-43, the Russian army in reality certainly appears strong in numbers , but low in quality.And its shortcomings increase as the conflict lasts and its losses accumulate."An army is a sum of skills and capabilities. For lack of a solid infrastructure of recruitment/learning/innovation, the Russian sum has constantly decreased," notes ex-colonel and war historian Michel Goya."The Russian maneuver force has weakened, poorly replaced by fewer and lower quality units."Worse perhaps, the Russian military is undermined by an institutionalized lie.Historian and freelance author Chris Owen tweeted comments by Russian soldiers, some of them for propaganda purposes by Ukrainians, but nonetheless revealing.They report reduced maneuvers to embezzle budgets, distorted assessments of the state of a combat unit, objectively false reports on the results of an operation."Planning is based on reports. And reports are different from reality", summarizes Chris Owen, who assures that the false nature of the documents circulating in the army has been documented "in Russian units on all fronts and of all trades, from paratroopers to mechanized infantry".Since the first setbacks suffered by the Russians in the spring, the hypothesis of a general mobilization has arisen.It seems unlikely, as it is likely to turn Russian opinion around.It would also oblige the head of the Kremlin to call "war" what he designates as a "special operation".Moscow is therefore calling on volunteers and mercenaries, in particular those of the sulphurous private company Wagner.In a viral video on social networks, a man presented as the Russian billionaire Yevgueni Prigojine, close to Mr Putin and alleged financier of Wagner, is filmed in the courtyard of a prison trying to offer a contract to inmates.AFP could not formally identify him but the subject is clear."If you do six months (for Wagner), you're free," he told them."But if you arrive in Ukraine and decide it's not for you, we will execute you.""Not only is it totally sinister," said Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at Scotland's University of St. Andrews, but it also speaks to the "massive crisis" in the recruitment of soldiers in Russia.https://arab.news/g2q3dGENEVA: The UN on Friday denounced the growing surveillance of individuals in public spaces as some countries use biometric recognition systems to monitor political opponents or carry out racial profiling.In a new report on "the right to privacy in the digital age", the UN human rights office says that most authorities continue to use biometric surveillance systems, "despite the lack of legal basis".Large-scale automated data collection and analysis, as well as new digitized identity systems and vast biometric databases endanger, according to the UN, the right to privacy."Digital technologies bring enormous benefits to societies. But pervasive surveillance comes at a high cost, undermining rights and stifling the development of vibrant and pluralistic democracies," Nada Al-Nashif, High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, said in a statement. acting human rights.“In summary, the right to privacy is more than ever in danger,” she added.These surveillance systems raise serious concerns about their proportionality, given their highly intrusive nature and broad impact on large numbers of people, according to the UN.Biometric recognition should only be used in public spaces "to prevent or investigate serious crimes or serious threats to public safety" and in compliance with human rights, according to the report.In general, the UN calls for the establishment of moratoria on the sale of surveillance technologies - such as spyware and biometric recognition systems that can be used in public places - pending the establishment of a regulatory framework guaranteeing human rights.LONDON: He waited more than twelve hours, like thousands of people: the former British footballer David Beckham made a strong impression on Friday, noticed in the crowd who had come to gather near the coffin of Elizabeth II at the Palace of Westminster."I thought coming at 2 a.m. it would be quieter, but I was wrong," the former England national team captain told ITV."It's difficult for the nation, difficult for everyone. I think everyone feels it and our thoughts are with the (royal) family," David Beckham, 47, added.The player also evokes the emotion that gripped him every time he sang the national anthem before a football match."It was something that meant so much to us," he recalls.Photos posted on social networks by people close to him in the queue show him in a dark suit and tie and a newsboy cap on his head."The line is now full of people trying to photograph David Beckham, completely forgetting to keep moving forward. It's crazy!", wrote for example on Twitter Jules Birkby, also present in the line, above photos showing the former footballer in the queue."The most important moment for me was when I received (my medal of) the Order of the British Empire. I had taken my grandparents, real royalists, with me," said David. Beckham on Sky News."I have been so lucky to be able to experience such moments in my life, to have been able to approach Her Majesty," added the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star.Like him, hundreds of thousands of Britons will be able until early Monday morning to gather near the coffin of Queen Elizabeth, who died Thursday, September 8 at the age of 96, after more than 70 years of reign.https://arab.news/bk7shLONDON: Leaving Westminster Hall after having gathered in front of the coffin, few are those who resist it: a fleeting look, a wave of the hand, to greet Queen Elizabeth II one last time.In the majestic setting of this millennial hall, the queen's coffin is on a high catafalque, surmounted by the royal standard, the imperial crown, the scepter and the orb.A decorum that immediately strikes anyone who enters it.The flow of people, people of all ages and backgrounds, has flowed steadily since opening to the public on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. GMT).The display of the coffin to the public will end on Monday morning, before the state funeral of the queen, who died on September 8 at the age of 96.At dawn on Friday, those who have lined up all night finally manage to spend a brief moment, a few seconds, in front of the monarch with the reign of unprecedented longevity in the United Kingdom, 70 years.Some show up dressed for the occasion, dressed in black, others in their everyday attire.The wait, which mounted at 2 p.m. on Friday, did not deter even those on crutches.Once inside, under the timber frame - which claims to be the largest in Europe and hosted the trials of Guy Fawkes, who wanted to blow up Parliament in 1606, and King Charles I in 1649 - the line line is divided into four separate lines.- Emotion and comfort -In the dignified silence that reigns in the upper room, where only muffled sounds of early morning arrive, the sincere, clumsy, touching tributes follow one another on both sides of the catafalque.A woman bows.Another tries a full bow.Gentlemen in outdated hats discover each other.Many are making the sign of the cross.Veterans, their chests laden with medals, proudly stop for a few seconds.For some, the intensity of the moment is such that they start crying.Those who came accompanied comfort each other, holding hands and shoulders.Neither phone nor photos are allowed.A small service dog emerges from the disabled access, pulling its leash held by a small girl.Tail wagging, oblivious to the solemnity, he enthusiastically sniffs the beige carpet indicating the path to follow.- Changing of the Guard -Every 20 minutes, the changing of the guards who watch over the queen comes to interrupt the silence and the parade.Announced by two heavy strokes of the cane, Yeomen and archers of the Royal Company arrive from the northeast corner.The hundred-year-old choreography, which resonates on the stone floor, captivates the audience.The most senior of the Gentlement at Arms, the Queen's close guard, are adorned with swan-feathered helmets and skirted red coats with blue velvet cuffs.The Yeomen of the Guard are adorned with their baldric extending from the left shoulder, which distinguishes them from their counterpart Yeomen Warders, the famous "Beefeaters" of the Tower of London who watch over the Crown Jewels.Very quickly, everyone is back in place, alongside white-gloved police.Silence falls.A little wax that fell from the four imposing chandeliers that surround the platform is cleaned up.The parade resumes.