The Ukrainian soldiers must pass the mines – during the night

To reach the Russian positions, the Ukrainian soldiers must pass a first obstacle.

It takes place secretly at night under the cover of darkness.

– Everyone’s hands are shaking, says the officer.

Spring has turned into summer and the long-awaited Ukrainian “spring offensive” has not yet become a reality.

And one of several reasons for the delay lies hidden along roads and fields.

The Washington Post newspaper has met with engineer troops in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhya.

They have the time-consuming and life-threatening task of clearing their own mines that have been placed in the terrain to impede the Russian advance.

Digging in the night

Now the buried explosive charges are an obstacle in the other direction instead.

In order for the troops to be able to advance towards the Russian defensive positions, thousands of mines must be dug up.

But if the Ukrainians use heavy minesweepers or detonate the mines, there would be a risk of warning the Russians about where they plan to strike during the offensive, writes the Washington Post.

Instead, the engineer troops have to dig up the mines at night under the cover of darkness.

By hand.

– Everyone’s hands are shaking, says the 42-year-old officer with the code name Klimat, to the newspaper.

The next obstacle

He states that the work has been going on for weeks. When a passage has been cleared, markers are set up with LEDs facing away from the Russian positions.

In this way, the troops in the offensive should be able to take safe routes forward.

Then the next big obstacle awaits.

Many suspect that Ukraine will concentrate its first major wave in the counter-offensive in Zaporizhzhya.

If the country’s troops succeed in advancing south through the region, the land bridge connecting the occupied peninsula of Crimea with the Russian mainland could be shut down.

“Like World War I”

The Washington Post writes that the Kremlin is so obsessed with holding on to Zaporizhzhia that it has turned vast swaths of farmland into massive fortifications with trenches and other obstacles so large they can be seen from space.

To embark on these defensive positions requires special training, equipment and reconnaissance to find the weak point of the constructions.

The Russian tactic is to slow down the offensive, force the attacking troops into a narrow corridor, and then try to knock them out with artillery fire.

– It is reminiscent of the First World War, says defense expert Mark Cancian to the Washington Post.

– If the Russians fight wildly, it can be difficult to get through.

Adds in known patterns

According to Ukrainian information to the newspaper, Russian troops are laying a pattern: A row of vehicle mines, a row of troop mines and another row of vehicle mines.

It is stated that vehicle mines can be detected with the help of drones.

But troop mines are more difficult to knock out.

When the Ukrainians have cleared their own mines and are approaching the Russian positions, speed and power are more important than silence, writes the Washington Post.

Ukraine has both its own minesweepers and vehicles sent from Finland.

But some experts state that there are too few – and not the most effective ones.

Difficult and drawn out

It is believed that the West has focused entirely on ammunition, robots and armored vehicles, but not on the equipment Ukraine needs to clear the minefields and get to the Russian troops.

Regardless, the offensive will be more difficult and more protracted than the successful counteroffensive last fall.

– The enemy has learned from their mistakes, says Yuri, commander of the 1st tank brigade, to the Washington Post.

– They are better prepared.