The war in Ukraine is increasingly focusing on the country’s largest cities. What does this mean for the defending and attacking troops? An interview with Major Klaus Kuss, urban warfare expert at the Army Training School and Deputy Head of the Jäger Institute. Among other things, he is also an “International Urban Operation Advisor”.
Mr. Major, more and more Ukrainian cities are currently becoming the focus of media coverage. How should we imagine these battles in populated areas?
Combat in a village is generally one of the most difficult and bloodiest of all. The battle is fought on a three-dimensional battlefield. This means that you can be fought not only from the houses, but also from underground systems such as the sewer system or from rooftops. Threats can constantly come from all directions, you don’t know where the enemy is. In addition, the combat distances are very short and close combat is often necessary. A lot of fire is concentrated in a very confined space and the effect of weapons, such as artillery shells or rockets, is massively amplified by splinters and dense buildings. Fighting in an urban environment is therefore mentally and physically particularly tough, draining and also very costly.
How should the population of a city behave when it is attacked?
The civilian population should try to leave the city as long as it is possible and humanitarian corridors or similar exist. If this is no longer possible, it is advisable to seek shelter in cellars, the subway system or in bunkers. Staying outdoors should be avoided at all costs, as there is a risk of getting caught between the fighting parties or being injured or killed by the aforementioned weapon effects. Under no circumstances should the civilian population take an active part in the fighting. People are not armed, equipped and trained for this and are therefore at a severe disadvantage compared to regular forces. Fighting civilians also do not have combatant status, are not covered by international humanitarian law and are therefore not protected in this respect either. https://militaeraktuell.at/hilfe-fuer-die-ukraine-was-jetzt-benoetigt-wird/
Do the defenders of a city have an advantage over the attackers?
The defenders always have an advantage, as the urban environment is ideal for defensive operations. There is a multitude of positioning and observation options, the possibility of fighting the attacker with fire from almost all directions and the houses can offer good protection from the enemy’s weapons. The attacker is basically dependent on the use of the roads if he wants to advance quickly, which means he is strongly channeled and easier to fight. In addition, the defending forces of a town or village usually have local knowledge and are able to find their way around the confusing built-up area, whereas the attacker is entering completely new territory and therefore has difficulty finding his way around. If the defending forces have enough time, they can also set up barriers of all kinds, expand their positions and practise their fighting skills, thereby significantly increasing their combat strength and value. In addition, any technological and force superiority of the attacker is reduced by the terrain – i.e. the built-up area. The attacker needs a multiple superiority, the massive use of steep fire and other means of action from the air, as well as means of electronic warfare, in order to have a chance of success.
Why is the seizure of cities so important? Is it not enough to dominate the surrounding space?
Cities are generally the political, economic, cultural, infrastructural and religious centers of a country. They are therefore of great importance and also have a highly symbolic character, as they can usually look back on a past steeped in history. Seizure by hostile forces has a strong negative psychological and moral effect on the defending forces and people of a country. People are more willing to give up a rural area with little infrastructure than a city.
So the trend towards urbanization can also be observed in war?
A large part of the population lives in urban areas and an attacker wants to control these people and impose his will on them. So yes, the general trend towards urbanization is also bringing cities into the focus of strategic considerations.
Click here to read the other articles in our “5 questions to” series.
