Here are ten reasons why Staromaiorske, home to just 900 mostly older people, matters in the context of Ukraine’s summer offensive to take back Russian-occupied territory.

1. Staromaiorske’s liberation confirms the wisdom of the strategy by Ukrainian military commanders and political leaders’ to ‘starve, stretch and strike’. Under this approach, Ukrainian forces took their time to systematically target and destroy the Russian rear echelon forces with missiles, artillery and armed drones before attempting large-scale advances with mechanized infantry units on defended points like Staromaiorske. As a result, and in full alignment with their proclaimed military doctrine, the General Staff were able to save Ukrainian lives and new equipment.

2. I am advised by leading global military strategists that, at no time in modern military history, is there a precedent for mechanized infantry advancing against an entrenched enemy without strong air support. Ukraine is able to fly less than 10 sorties per day which is at least 5 times fewer than their enemy. In part, the Ukrainians compensate for their lack of air cover with the increased and effective use of Western-supplied HIMARS, Storm Shadow cruise missiles and other long-range weaponry. This took time to acquire and to learn, and it was also good to have the time to further master battlefield drone technology and management software systems. (Subject experts strongly affirm that the military IT systems Ukraine itself has developed, including for use in artillery engagements, are better and much more flexible than many NATO-standard versions.) What the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are accomplishing is admirable and has, obviously, taken great attention to detail to prepare and execute. That’s called discipline and purpose rather than PR.