A squad-sized unit of Russian troops conducting a night foot movement utilize a straight line formation in the open and learn about the effects and dangers of artillery fire on non-dispersed troops.

It's unclear exactly when and where this footage was filmed. The video was released by Ukrainian sources and claims that the troop movement is comprised entirely of Russian Soldiers. We have no way to independently verify those claims, however there is no reason to believe the Ukrainian sources would lie about that piece of information, and we have seen very little video from the Russian side of this type.

Generally speaking, when troops are moving through the open, you want a minimum dispersion that is equal to the most powerful artillery threat in your area of operations. This dispersion ensures that the unit does not become a target of opportunity should they be spotted by a forward observer, or in the case of the war in Ukraine, an unmanned forward observations device.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com