KYIV, Ukraine — There are two important things to know about military trenches. First, you'll never find a soldier who likes to dig one. Second, the deeper they are, the safer they are.
"Digging a hole is not fun," said Stefan Korshak, an American who knows the Ukrainian military well. He's been living in Ukraine for 25 years and covers the war for the Kyiv Post.
"Their army has developed the discipline to make the soldiers dig holes, the moment they stop, wherever they are, anytime they could potentially be hit by Russian artillery. And that saves lives," said Korshak.
When Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2014, Ukraine's army was simply outmatched. Since then, Ukraine has had to figure out creative ways to defend itself and fight back, from low-tech to high-tech.
You could call them 'war hacks.' And many seem to be working.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges has seen Ukraine's military improve first-hand. He became the commander of U.S. Army Europe shortly after that first Russian incursion.
As American troops helped train the Ukrainians, he was immediately struck by their tech savvy when the U.S. provided radar equipment that detected incoming Russian artillery fire.
"I quickly discovered that radar is better than I realized," said Hodges. "The Ukrainians took it and were able to use it in ways that I did not know were possible. And it's not just the technical part, but it's also the tactical, how they employed it."
