The Russian army began to prepare the temporarily occupied Crimea for the Ukrainian counteroffensive, only a few weeks later the invaders built a whole network of trenches and barriers on the peninsula. The Washington Post writes about this, citing satellite photos from Maxar.
According to WP, the occupiers built fortifications in the areas of the settlements of Medvedevka, Vitino and in other parts of Crimea. Along the Black Sea coast, Russian war criminals have set up anti-tank stumps, ditches and artillery mounts. In the photo from the side of Lake Sivash, a network of trenches is visible, the length of which sometimes exceeds 900 meters. There are three rows of “dragon’s teeth” – concrete anti-tank barriers in the form of pyramids.
Also, Russia has recently strengthened its positions on the border of Crimea with the mainland of Ukraine. Defensive structures appeared at natural water barriers, such as the seashore or canals, which creates additional barriers in the event of an offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Russian authorities of the Crimea attracted local residents to dig trenches for a payment of 90 dollars. in a day.
According to Michael Kofman, director of the Russian program at the US Center for Naval Analysis, Ukraine is unlikely to decide to seize Crimea “in the classical sense,” but rather resort to the tactics of constant exhaustion and establishing fire control over the peninsula.
Over time, this could make the situation in Crimea unbearable, and as a result, Russia may have to negotiate its status, Kofman said in a commentary to The Washington Post.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.