Ukraine is developing its counter-offensive in the south of the country, where the main challenge is to break the defense line built by the Russian invaders.
Russia’s defense line in the south of Ukraine has been called the largest defense structure in Europe since World War II. And yet, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already successful in breaking through such a line.
What is Russia’s line of defense?
The Russians began building defensive structures in October 2022, after a successful counter-offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kharkov and Kherson regions.
As a result, in the south of Ukraine they managed to create a defensive zone hundreds of kilometers long.
“The Russians approached the engineering and fortification equipment in the southern direction with skill. This multi-component defense line consisted of a large anti-tank ditch impassable by armored vehicles. Then there was a line of the so-called “dragon’s teeth” made of concrete pyramids in three to five rows. And between them there are mine-explosive barriers. And only after that there is a direct line of trenches and trenches, “says Anton Muraveinik, head of the analytical department of the Come Back Alive Foundation.
Everything that goes in front of the main line of reinforced (sometimes concrete) trenches is called “forefield”. This should delay the advance of Ukrainian forces. “Forefields” were mined whenever possible – these were large impassable areas that had to be overcome to get to the main lines of defense.
At the same time, there are already Russian positions in this zone, but rather in the form of “fox holes” – systems of small trenches and dugouts.
Maps dug up by the Russians show, for example, the village of Ocheretovatoye and the city of Tokmak, which is one of the strategic targets of the Ukrainian forces’ offensive.
Pexcavation coming
And despite all this, the Ukrainian army managed to pass the “forefield” in the area of the village of Rabotino and break the first line of defense of the Russians.
The day before, the Tauride group of troops said that we should soon expect “good news in the direction of Zaporozhye.”
“Entering the operational space can be considered a breakthrough of the entire defense line that the Russians have been digging for nine months. And access to the operational space in the direction of Zaporozhye is possible only in one place in the area of Tokmak… Perhaps it is not yet worth talking about a major victory. We can say that the first lines of continuous defense, opened by the Russians almost from Vasilyevka to Volnovakha, have already been passed . We are now opening the last line in the area of Novoprokopovka, in the area of Rabotino. The last three or four days have been a very difficult and difficult task of our attack groups and commanders carrying out tactical tasks in this direction. They have caused serious problems for the Russians. We have already opened this last line and have penetrated north of Novoprokopovka, moving part of Verbovoy into the gray zone. There are no Russians in most of the village itself: semi-encirclement we have it. Further movement in these directions will give us the opportunity to move to the defensive line – not a continuous one. These are the focal garrison fortifications of Russia. You can maneuver between them. They can be semi-circular, surrounded,” says military expert Roman Svitan.
Source: korrespondent
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.