Ukrainian Special Forces Show the Unique Challenges of Urban Warfare

Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) is decidedly different from the relative freedom of movement of fighting in the open.

MOUT training provides the organization, planning, and knowledge needed to be successful when conducting operations in an urban environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Manuel Alvarado) Public domain.

The headline from Express caught my attention immediately:

“Heartstopping moment Ukrainian special ops take out Russian forces in dramatic video.”

Ooh la la, I enjoy combat footage as much as the next analyst, so I visited the tabloid to see this “heart-stopping” video for myself.

In the video, fighters from Group Two of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine are seen trading fire with Russians in the village of Severne, Donetsk region.

The video was shared by pro-Ukraine Telegram group @Combat_Ftg.

While I think the headline may have been a little sensationalized, the video did a good job of showing the unique difficulties of fighting in an urban environment.

You can see the video here but please note the content warning.

A Ukrainian soldier is first seen engaged in battle inside a crumbling building as he fires while lying on a staircase.

Another soldier can be seen coming up a dark stairwell before the POV footage shows the inside of a war-stricken home in Severne.