![]() ![]() 7 These so-called “hero cities” in the current war have evolved beyond the importance of their physical terrain and into cities with psychological and morale importance all their own. For Ukraine and Russia, Mariupol became a symbol of resistance with a distinct past as it had been a city that changed hands in 2014. Other cities draw decisive battles beyond capitals. 6 The symbolism of cities as a wartime measure of psychological importance and their influence on morale even expands beyond that of a simplistic capital city sociopolitical center-of-gravity concept. History is replete with examples of the importance of cities, both successful and failed attempts from Carthage and Rome in the Carthaginian Wars to Richmond in the American Civil War, and to a more modern example of Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom. ![]() The battle for Kyiv mattered as a symbolic Russian attempt to delegitimize Ukrainian sovereignty and swiftly conduct regime change. 5 The Symbolically Driven Fights over Cities 4 While they had attempted to modernize in platforms and weapon systems, their military training and organization from the short-term conscript system to the lack of a definitive noncommissioned officer corps set them up for failure beyond combined arms to also include in urban terrain. Russian forces were unprepared for much of this war, but most distinctly for urban operations. 3 While the overall performance of the Russian military has surprised many, its poor performance in urban fighting has not. 2 Even the seemingly casualty-accepting Russian President Vladimir Putin called off further offensive advances into the plant to preserve Russian lives. 1 The prolonged resistance in Mariupol consumed multiple Russian tactical battle groups that could have been better employed to support other offensives the stoutest resistance for weeks was in the four square miles of the Azvostol Steel Plant with its complex, dense collection of buildings and intricate woven underground passageways. Ukraine’s defiance in the northeast, holding Kyiv and denying Russian advances in Chernihiv and Kharkiv, altered Russia’s operational calculus. The one who can seize and hold the city controls, or just denies, crucial capabilities to military operations.Įarly observations indicate Russia’s war in Ukraine hangs in the balance and appears it will be won or lost in the cities. The physical and infrastructure characteristics of cities naturally and geographically can make control of them critical for victorious military campaigns. However, as history and recent examples in Ukraine demonstrate, conflicts often are decided among the cities. ![]() When acknowledged, urban operations are largely discussed in commentary on their inherent difficulty, the natural aversion to costly fighting characteristic of urban combat, and with the recommendation to bypass or avoid city fights altogether. However, even with history and current events, there is faint acknowledgement of the importance of the urban fight in military theory, and it has limited coverage in U.S. Moreover, the importance of cities is apparent with a study of history. Cities sit astride, near, or encompass major ground routes (road and rail), major water crossings such as large bridges, and logistical and power projection hubs for sea and air. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine provides an immediate example of the importance of cities themselves and what cities contain. (Photo by Ukrinform, Alamy Live News)Ĭities not only possess cultural and psychological value for combatants, but they are also sociologically and geographically anchored to multiple aspects of military key terrain. This photo reveals the massive concentration of population together with industry, manufacturing, road networks, bridges, and electricity-generating facilities that make urban centers essential terrain for adversaries attempting to assert geographical, political, and economic control during periods of conflict. Smoke rises over the Ukrainian capital Kyiv after Russia unleashed a barrage of deadly missile attacks on cities across Ukraine as part of a wave of strikes against civilians and infrastructure in October 2022. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |