(Dan Tri) – Observers say that guerrilla tactics, building defensive fences and knowledge of urban terrain are the reasons why Ukrainian forces were able to slow down the movement of the Russian side in recent days.

Ukrainian forces carrying weapons crossed the bridge between Irpin and Kiev that was destroyed to prevent large military vehicles from crossing (Photo: Washington Post).

According to the Washington Post, when Russian forces took control of Hostomel airport near Kiev on February 24 – the first day of the special military campaign that Moscow carried out in Ukraine, many observers believed that Russia would

However, after 2 weeks of conducting `encirclement` around the Ukrainian capital, Russia is still advancing at a slower pace than experts predicted.

The US and its allies have pledged to provide Ukrainian forces with weapons such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles, machine guns and sniper rifles.

Rob Lee, an expert at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (USA), said that Russian forces in recent times still seem to be finding ways to deal with the guerrilla-style tactics that Ukrainian forces carry out in the region.

According to experts, the Ukrainian side seems to be trying to block the advance of Russian forces, to create a `freeze` situation around Kiev.

In fact, outside the battlefield, the West is imposing unprecedented sanctions packages on Russia to force Moscow to make concessions.

In conversations with the Washington Post, Ukrainian officials said they are operating with unpredictable tactics, taking advantage of their knowledge of local terrain as an advantage against Russia.

Across the country, experts say, the Ukrainian side has retreated to the cities, limiting confrontations with Russian forces in the countryside.

That is why in the southern city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine is still trying to slow down Russia’s advance westward toward the strategic port city of Odessa.

Guerrilla tactics

Diagram of the arrangement of Russian military forces in Ukraine as of March 13 (Graphic: BBC).

Kiev, where Ukraine’s government is located, became the highest target for protection.

According to experts, up to now, the Ukrainian side has basically somewhat limited some of Russia’s goals such as surrounding the capital Kiev and using the strategic airport in Hostomel to set up an air bridge to bring more weapons to the country.

Fierce confrontations have occurred in Hostomel, Bucha and Irpin in recent days, clearly showing the fighting in urban environments, between two forces with asymmetry in potential.

In Irpin, the Ukrainian side deployed anti-tank mines everywhere, said a soldier named Casper.

In addition, Ukraine destroyed the bridge connecting Irpin and Kiev to prevent the Russian convoy from crossing.

On the other side of the bridge, at the entrance to the center of Irpin, Ukrainian armed groups dug trenches on a hill with a favorable position to wait for the Russian side to find an opening to act.

Ukraine said that Russian forces did not clearly understand Irpin’s geographical location.

According to military experts, the capacity and potential of the Ukrainian army cannot compete with Russia in direct confrontation, so they have deployed small-scale operations, instead of continuously responding to attacks.

Even so, most Western analysts and officials predict that Russia will eventually be able to enter the capital, Kiev, perhaps with the support of air strikes.