War in 2022. Urban warfare expert advising Ukrainian civilian resistors online.

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

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https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1497583307504046087.html


So I've been asked what my advice would be to civilian resistors in Ukriane, especially Kyiv. Someone with no military training but wanting to resist. Here are a few things #Kyiv #UkraineUnderAttack :

You have the power but you have to fight smart. The urban defense is hell for any soldier. It usually take 5 attackers to 1 defender. Russians do not have the numbers. Turn Kyiv and any urban area leading to Kyiv into a porcupine.

Go out and build obstacles in the streets! Start with any bridge you can find (they should have been destroyed). Block them with cars, trucks, concrete, wood, trash, anything! Then block any spot in the city where there are tall buildings on each side. Already tight areas.
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If it is a street you still need to use. Build a S pattern obstacle that still slows a vehicle down. Think police check point (which you could set up if you wanted to catch saboteurs before military reach your location)
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Once you have obstacles (never stop building). I really mean thousands of barriers/obstacles. You can decided places to fight. Places to shoot from or ambush any soldier or vehicle that stops or slows down at your obstacles.

Do NOT stand in the open and shoot or throw anything (to include molotov cocktail) at a Russian soldier or vehicles. Shoot from windows, behind cars, around alleyway corners. Build positions (concrete best) to fire from.

You must prepare for the Russians to start using artillery to help their troops. Make sure the places you choose to shoot from are strong. If in a building, make holes in the walls so you can shoot from and bigger ones to move to other rooms or buildings. You must survive.

Yes, use your molotov cocktails. Think about where you will stand to throw (then run). Dropping from windows above vehicles most ideal. Vehicles without weapons on top the most vulnerable, but if it is armor, choose where to hit.
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Form into groups. Ideally 3 to 5 and decided where to shoot at Russians from. You get to decide. Best if coordinated with another group and using your obstacles to slow something and shoot at from concealed and protected positions.

Again, your survival to fight is important so think hard about where you will shoot from. Elevated positions down long streets. Shoot and run. Ambushes. Aim for the windows and doors of non-armor vehicles. Soldiers in open. One of the greatest fears of a soldier is a sniper.
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You are not a sniper, but you can put fear in their hearts if they think there are snipers everywhere. Again take care of yourselves to be able to resist. Drink water. 3 days without water and you won't be able to fight. More later.
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[Throck]

1. Interesting paradox

In Vietnam the cities were more secure than the countryside during the US years there. Even the Tet offensive was beaten back.

What I fear is the Russians would do a Warsaw ghetto scenario on the citizens. Surround and isolate city then start demolishing it. Don't underestimate the lack of morality of Putin.

[Victor_c3]

2. I would add that when shooting from within a building to a target outside, don't stand right in

Front of a window. Stand as far back inside the room as possible so it makes it harder to identify who/where the shooter is.

In Iraq, I saw a lot of enemy personnel standing in the window shooting at me. They were oblivious to how easy of a target they made.

[dalton99a]

3. Kick

[former9thward]

4. What makes "John Spencer" on Twitter an "expert" in urban warfare?

Where has he fought urban warfare?

[Nevilledog]

5. Good enough for you?

Maj. (ret) John W. Spencer is the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and Co-Director of MWI's Urban Warfare Project.

[former9thward]

6. No, where has he actually fought urban warfare?

[Nevilledog]

8. Hahaha

Glad to know you find the Chair of the West Point Urban Warfare Studies, Modern Warfare Institute "lacking"

[former9thward]

9. So the answer is nowhere.

Thanks.

[Nevilledog]

11. Wrong. Or is that not "urban"?

Colonel (CA) John Spencer is chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute, codirector of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast. He previously served as a fellow with the chief of staff of the Army’s Strategic Studies Group. He served twenty-five years as an infantry soldier, which included two combat tours in Iraq.


https://mwi.usma.edu/defending-the-city-an-overview-of-defensive-tactics-from-the-modern-history-of-urban-warfare/

[former9thward]

13. I am sure you know we fought no urban warfare in Iraq of the type described in the OP.

[Nevilledog]

14. Hahaha again.

[EX500rider]

19. Well we certainly did fight in urban environments though

Fallujah & Mosul + Bagdad.

[Happy Hoosier]

12. Huh?

What's your beef here? The advice is what I've heard from every expert on the subject.

[former9thward]

15. I have a beef with self appointed "experts"

telling other people how to die. We have not fought in urban warfare, of the type in the OP, since WW II. Almost a CENTURY ago. Things have changed since then.

[Happy Hoosier]

16. What do you think he is saying that is wrong?

And he does seem to have some credentials.

[former9thward]

17. I guess I have more faith in people who have actually done what they are teaching.

Academic titles don't mean much to me when it comes to war.

[Crunchy Frog]

20. Well, I guess don't follow his advice next time you engage in urban warfare then.

[JHB]

18. Iraq

https://mwi.usma.edu/staff/john-spencer/

John W. Spencer currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast.

He served over twenty-five years in the Army as an infantry soldier having held ranks from Private to Sergeant First Class and Second Lieutenant to Major. His assignments as an active duty Army officer included two combat deployments to Iraq as both an Infantry Platoon Leader and Company Commander, a Ranger Instructor with the Army’s Ranger School, a Joint Chief of Staff and Army Staff intern, fellow with the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Strategic Studies Group, Strategic Planner and then Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute where he was instrumental in the design and formation of the institute.

He currently serves as a Colonel in the California State Guard with assignment to the 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard as the Director of Urban Warfare Training. His research focuses on military operations in dense urban areas, megacities, urban and subterranean warfare.

He is an international recognized subject matter expert in urban warfare that regularly consults for United States Army Forces Command units, Training and Doctrine Command, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), United Nations, and many others military and national security organizations.

[Nevilledog]

23. Apparently not good enough for some. Mind boggling.

[sarisataka]

7. My 2022 answer would be

Google it.

There are many manuals about urban warfare online

[Cha]

10. Rts TY!

💙

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Great information. Thanks for posting and for linking to in another thread. . . .nt

[BlueWavePsych]

22. K&R