How a makeshift urban warfare manual has helped Ukrainian fighters
An urban warfare expert has praised the Ukrainian military for their successes in defending urbanised areas in Ukraine.
In February, John Spencer, a former major in the US Army, spoke to Forces News to outline the key aims for those defending towns and cities.
Five weeks on, he has spoken again to summarise how those fighting on the ground have largely succeeded in repelling Russian ground activities.
Watch: How UK weapons helped Ukrainian troops ambush Russian forces in Bucha.
Maj Spencer said: "What they really got right is what I talked about in the beginning, which is, number one, stay protected.
"Stay within the urban terrain and use it to your advantage to withstand the bombings and still be ready to fight.
"Number two was to go out and block everything. And with something big. And we saw that. Block every road, block every street, block every door."
The retired US Army officer, now Chief of Urban War Studies at Madison Policy Forum, also highlighted what the Russian military has got wrong.
He said: "The Russians, what they got wrong, was not getting there fast enough."
Last week, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a law designed to incentivise Russian personnel to surrender and hand over military equipment.
Payments of up to $1m will be made depending on what equipment is surrendered.
Cover image: A house destroyed during a rocket attack by the Russian occupants in Dnipro, Eastern Ukraine (Picture: Mykola Myakshykov).
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