War in Ukraine: Have Kiev’s troops broken through the Russian defense line?

The successes of the Ukrainian offensive can be measured in meters, not kilometers, military experts concluded this summer. Villages are now a more appropriate unit of measurement and if Kiev’s army continues to make progress, then cities will likely be liberated from Russian occupation again. It’s not there yet, but according to US military experts, Ukrainian armored vehicles have been spotted for the first time beyond the last Russian line of defense in the Zaporizhia region, in the south of the country. However, it is too early to say for sure that this Russian defense line has been broken, writes the Institute for War Studies ISW.

Massive defensive bulwark

At the town of Robotyne, the Ukrainian army has worked its furthest through the staggered Russian defense lines since July. There the Russian troops have entrenched themselves in extensive trenches. Tanks are fended off with mines, trenches and triangular concrete barriers called dragon teeth. The massive and cleverly constructed bulwarks are seen as the main reason why Ukraine’s counter-offensive, which has been running since early summer, is making rather slow progress.

The troops are now trying to wear down the Russian side. The focus is on attacks on the artillery, and the relatively small Ukrainian units also manage to cause disproportionately large amounts of damage. Since the Ukrainians operate largely without air support, the Russian positions were first bombarded and then manned by small squads of foot soldiers. According to the ISW, the appearance of Ukrainian armored vehicles behind the defense line shows that they can now move more freely there again.

Ukraine’s destination: Sea of ​​Azov

The Ukrainians are also increasingly successful in hitting targets on the occupied Crimean peninsula with precision attacks. The most recent success: a cruise missile hit the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in the port city of Sevastopol – followed by an “unprecedented” cyber attack, as Russian circles say. The real goal is to advance to the Sea of ​​Azov and cut off the Russians’ land connection to the Crimean peninsula. However, the sea is still about 100 kilometers away. Experts doubt that the Ukrainian troops will achieve their goal this year.

According to British military experts, both sides are trying to gain an advantage through attacks in the enemy’s hinterland, for example through acts of sabotage. Recently, a helicopter and two aircraft were destroyed and damaged by explosives at the heavily guarded Chkalovsky airfield near Moscow. These belonged to the 354th Aviation Regiment, which was involved in counter-drone operations around Moscow. According to a British Defense Ministry intelligence report, the Kremlin is not happy about this as the airfield is “a sensitive location that houses specialized military aircraft and VIP transport for the Russian leadership circle.”

Sources: , DPA, AFP, .