Putin’s forces are rapidly expanding their defenses

They dig deep trenches in the ground, build small bunkers and set up anti-tank obstacles, also called dragon’s teeth because of their appearance. The Russians are working hard to strengthen their defense line.

For example at Popasna. The city was taken by Putin’s troops in May. In just eleven days, soldiers built a real fortress. Includes long trenches with firing ranges and dragon’s teeth. But the soldiers cannot do this with muscle alone. The fast BTM-3 trenchers are used to dig the deep furrows.

The goal is clear: the Ukrainians must not get through here under any circumstances. Russia is afraid of losing even more territories. Vladimir Putin’s troops (70) had to withdraw from already conquered territories. According to their own statements, the Ukrainians managed to recapture more than 400 square kilometers of territory in the Kherson region in October.

“It’s just holes in the ground”

In November, the Russians withdrew from the city of Kherson. The new defense strategy should prevent another debacle. But military experts have their doubts. “They’re just holes in the ground unless they’re held by motivated, disciplined soldiers backed up by artillery, mobile reserves and logistics,” Philip Wasielewski of the US think tank Foreign Policy Research Institute told the New York Times. This became especially evident during the withdrawal from the city of Kherson. Here, too, the Russians had previously expanded their line of defense in order to have to flee anyway.

That is why Russian military bloggers, such as Moscow’s Igor Strelkov, are critical of trench-digging at the front. That only costs an unnecessary number of human lives and is otherwise incomprehensible. The Ukrainians have long proven that they can move forward despite such constructions. Moreover, such lines can be fired upon with good artillery – from a safe distance.

Russians fear Ukrainian invasion

Defense systems are being expanded not only at the front, but also in Russia itself. Since the fall, Russian authorities have accelerated the construction of fortifications in the border regions.

The British Ministry of Defense, in its daily reporting on the Russian offensive in Ukraine, estimated that these border fortification efforts were probably intended to arouse “patriotic feelings” in the Russian population. But it also shows that some Russian decision-makers actually believed in a “credible threat of invasion” by Ukrainian forces.

Russia accuses Ukraine of stepping up attacks on Russian territory in recent weeks. Earlier in December, Moscow accused Kiev of being responsible for drone strikes against two critical military airfields in central Russia. (jmh/AFP)