A US-based think tank acknowledges Kyiv’s choice to attack Russian positions in small groups as a “right” decision.

A prominent think tank in Washington DC has commended Ukraine for its decision to abandon Western-backed plans for large-scale frontal attacks on Russian defenses. Instead, experts have lauded Ukraine's success in employing smaller tactical units to engage its heavily entrenched adversary.

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The Institute for the Study of War recently released an assessment of Ukrainian tactics, authored by analyst Nataliya Bugayova, who emphasized the need for Western allies to demonstrate increased confidence in Ukraine. 

"Ukrainian forces have adapted. Ukraine’s military decision-making is sound. Now is not the time for Western doubt but for the West to embrace Ukraine’s way of war and commit to sustaining Ukraine’s initiative on the battlefield.

[…] Ukraine recognized the realities of Russian defenses much faster than Western policymakers, who were expecting a rapid Ukrainian breakthrough," she stated.

The ISW previously wrote in July that NATO’s approach – large-scale mechanized breaches – was flawed and that Ukrainian forces adapted their tactics after they had encountered initial setbacks and were increasingly successful in using small infantry assaults backed by precision fires to make inroads against Russian defenses. 

Ukraine’s ingenuity is yielding results - it maintains the battlefield initiative and its forces are advancing in Zaporizhia and near Bakhmut. Ukraine continues to liberate its territory and people and is slowly but steadily breaking through an incredibly formidable Russian prepared defense — and the Russian forces are unable to stop the advance, which is now moving in two directions, the assessment goes on.

The United States, the assessment says, should embrace its partnership with a competent ally who also leads.

“We are used to partners that require us to lead — from proxy forces we trained to our allies who rely on us for security. In Ukraine, however, the United States has a partner that is leading on the battlefield and knows its operational environment, its enemy, and its own capabilities and limitations. The Ukrainians have repeatedly demonstrated that they understand this war and can adapt. Most importantly, Ukraine still maintains a relentless will to fight,” according to the analyst.

The ISW called for more Western support for Ukraine, particularly military aid such as weapons, ammunition, as well as training for its soldiers “in conditions in which Ukraine fights at its best” while Russia gets deprived from operational and strategic relief.

The ISW’s stance on Ukrainian tactics is not shared by all NATO analysts.