The Russian forces have built long trenches, which allow them to retreat or receive reinforcements, says Finnish expert on the Ukrainian war Emil Kastehelmi in X quoted by CNN.
The Ukrainian forces have managed to break through Russia’s first line of defense on the southern front. On Monday, Ukraine said it had recaptured the strategically important village of Robotyne, and on Tuesday the military said the advance was continuing.
of the US news channel CNN the quoted Ukrainian soldier tells how difficult it is to achieve other than gradual victories in a counterattack.
– Those who think it took Ukraine a long time to capture Robotyne have not seen the Russian defense lines that had to be crossed. A lot of work has been done, writes a communications expert Oleksandr Solonko in X.
First of all, the terrain is such that you can spot the troops from far away – fields, villages and flat terrain. There are few passages. According to Solonko, everything is fired upon several times a day.
Russia has also prepared for the arrival of Ukrainian troops for a long time and its defense lines are sophisticated, Solonko states.
– They have a whole network of trenches and tunnels, automatic mortars, machine guns and anti-tank missiles. There are plenty of ditches and minefields blocking the passage of tanks.
– Where a ditch has not been dug, it has been mined. We have to go through all this to move forward, says Solonko.
When the Ukrainians retake an area, its surroundings are mined and equipped with trap wires. The Ukrainians have also suffered losses due to Russian air superiority, he says.
Strong defensive lines up front as well
It is not known whether the terrain is equally mined in the deeper Russian defense area. The mines would also hinder the Russians’ own activities. According to CNN, however, analysts say that there are strong lines of defense even after Robotyne.
Satellite images show that Solodka Balka, located seven kilometers to the south, has steel-reinforced communication trenches and anti-tank barriers called dragon’s teeth.
A Finnish analyst quoted by CNN Emil Kastehelmen According to Russia, the troops have built 100-350 meter long corridors to allow them to retreat or receive reinforcements.
– Strong defense lines have been built so that the troops could not advance on the main road towards the city of Tokmak, Kastehelmi wrote on Sunday in the X message service.