Putin's fashion faux pas: Russian military uniforms unsuitable for combat in brutal winter fight

Odd decisions by the post-Soviet military leadership and Putin with regard to Russian military uniforms have resulted in deaths of Russian soldiers in Ukraine from hyperthermia.

Rebekah Koffler is the president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting, a former DIA intelligence officer, and the author of  "Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America." She also wrote the foreword for "Zelensky: The Unlikely Ukrainian Hero."

The fiasco stems from several odd decisions made by the post-Soviet military leadership and by Putin himself.

The Soviet Red Army uniform was a poor man’s version of the Imperial Russian Army dress from the 19th century. In the run-up to World War II, when Russia had the largest army in Europe, approximately 2 million soldiers, Moscow prioritized low-cost but effective couture, compared to the pompous, flashy designs favored by the czarist generals. The uniform was practical, with no frills other than a bright distinctive insignia worn by senior officers that made them easy targets for German marksmen.