In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Michael Kofman, research program director in the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses and fellow at the Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The discussion explores the general composition and force design of the Russian military, before turning to the subject of Russia's military performance in Ukraine. Based on this foundation, Michael then offers his insights on some of the major urban battles fought during the war, including Kyiv and Mariupol. The episode concludes by highlighting lessons that researchers and observers should—and should not—be taking from the war.
During the 2022 Battle of Mariupol, approximately three thousand Ukrainian defenders, vastly outnumbered by Russian forces, were quickly surrounded in a steel plant with...
When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February, one of their first targets was the city of Mariupol. The battle that followed is an epic...
It's a holiday tradition for MWI and the Urban Warfare Project Podcast—the annual Christmas wish list episode. Once again this year, host John Spencer...