In late autumn 2022, the Russian army began digging down to defend areas it occupied in Ukraine. Work continued during the spring and defence lines are now located largely along the entire 800 km long front line. British intelligence stated on 12 April that the defensive positions in some areas are very extensive.
How Russian defense lines are protected
In the Zaporizhia region, for example, three parallel defense lines have been built, each of which is 120 km long. The lines are protected by barbed wire trenches, minefields, tank barriers and graves, as well as artillery positions.
Russian engineer troops are considered to be of high quality and many of the defensive positions are solid, judging by pictures on social media. For the Ukrainians, a difficult but not impossible mission awaits, says former Lieutenant Colonel Jörgen Elfving.
"If you only have access to the right technology, such as tanks with dozer blades, it is not too difficult to fill in the tank trenches," says the Russia expert.
Russia's defense questioned by analysts
Military analyst Thomas C. Theiner questions whether Russia has enough soldiers and materiel for an effective defense. According to his calculations, the Russians need to deploy around 54,000 soldiers, 600 tanks, 900 infantry fighting vehicles and a large number of mortars and artillery pieces just to defend three 30 km lines.
in the video you hear Jörgen Elfving about Ukraine's ability to force Russia's defense lines.