Four Priorities To Prevent a Russian-Style Logistics Failure in Future U.S. Operations

Russia failed to seize Kyiv in early 2022 because its logistics system collapsed under combat conditions. That collapse should serve as a warning to the United States. Current U.S. operational concepts often prioritize speed and maneuver while treating sustainment as a supporting function rather than a precondition for success.

Some might counter that U.S. tech and training superiority insulate them. But recent history disagrees. Gaza Joint Logistics Over‑the‑Shore (JLOTS) operation, a single improvised pier for aid, lasted just 20 days due to sea states, equipment mismatches, and planning gaps, leaving supplies undelivered. It's a microcosm of broader vulnerabilities: funding cuts to Army/Navy logistics systems, interoperability issues between services, and exercises that rarely simulate full-spectrum disruption.

To avoid Russia's fate, U.S. leaders must overcome these obstacles through targeted reforms.

First, eliminate single-point dependencies. Gaza's pier fiasco stemmed from no backups; planners must mandate resilient alternatives like multiple nodes and modular designs. Obstacle: Budget constraints due to Congress slashing JLOTS funding for years. Solution: Prioritize it in the next National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), tying it to peer-threat scenarios like Indo-Pacific ops.           

Second, build logistics command for degraded environments. Russia's insecure comms crippled resupply; U.S. units rely on digital networks that peer adversaries can jam. Train with intermittent connectivity, pre-delegated authorities, and analog fallbacks. Obstacle: Over-reliance on tech creates inertia. Overcome it by integrating "comms-denied" drills into every major exercise, starting with RED FLAG and TALISMAN SABRE.

Third, give sustainment forces equal billing to maneuver units. Fuel, maintenance, and recovery must operate forward under threat, not lag in safe rears. Russia's convoy exposed this gap; U.S. doctrine risks the same if logisticians aren't armored, mobile, and integrated. Obstacle: Cultural bias toward "trigger-pullers." Address it by cross-training: Embed logisticians in combat units during rotations, and measure exercise success by sustained power, not just objectives seized or land grabbed.

Finally, make contested sustainment the baseline for planning and exercises. Wargames often assume ideal timelines; Russia's Kyiv assumptions imploded under friction. Deliberately disrupt supplies, infrastructure, and comms in simulations to build resilience. Obstacle: Resource limits, full-scale stress tests are expensive. Start small: Scale up from tabletop to live-fire, leveraging AI for virtual disruptions, and collaborate with allies for cost-sharing.

Russia’s Kyiv debacle proves stockpiles alone don't win wars, but delivery does. Speed without sustainment is gambling, not art. The U.S. can't afford that bet. By elevating logistics now, we turn warnings into strength.

Travis Veillon is a former Marine infantryman and a federal employee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has extensive education and experience in logistics, emergency management, and deployments to austere environments through disaster and recovery operations. His work focuses on operational realities, military adaptation, and strategic forecasting.