The Silence Before the Tanks

From Georgia to today, Russian advances follow a simple lesson learned early, seize ground fast, wait for Western hesitation, and let fatigue quietly finish the job.

There is a rhythm to Russian wars that becomes unmistakable once you have seen it up close. It begins long before the first tank moves, in the slow tightening of pressure, the manufactured unrest, the diplomatic fog. By the time the armour rolls, the argument has already been rehearsed, the blame assigned, the outrage pre diluted. I recognised that rhythm in South Ossetia in August 2008, and I recognise it again now as Russian forces advance, metre by metre, testing the limits of Western endurance and memory.