Journalists of The New York Times report the weakness of the defense positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Avdiyivka region of Donetsk region.
What is known about the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Avdiivka area
The authors of the article, referring to satellite images and comments of American officials and analysts, point out that the successes of the Russian occupation army in the Avdiyivka region and the weak defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are partially explained by the acute shortage of ammunition.
At the same time, with reference to Planet Labs satellite images, the journalists of the publication note that the defense positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the west of Avdiivka consist mainly of rudimentary lines of trenches that do not have additional fortifications to slow down Russian tanks and protect key logistics routes.
American officials have expressed concern in private conversations that Ukraine did not strengthen its defense lines early or not well enough, and that it may now face consequences as Russian units slowly but steadily advance beyond Avdiivka, the publication noted. .
Journalists emphasize that the Ukrainian command had enough time to prepare defenses in this area.
What is known about the problems with the defensive line in the Avdiivka area
But Ukrainian defenses outside Avdiyivka are rudimentary earthen fortifications, often with a connecting trench for infantry to reach firing positions located closest to the enemy, but no more, the publication emphasizes.
Instead, it is noted that the Russian fortifications near the southern village of Verbove, which Ukraine tried to recapture last fall, "show a completely different picture."
Unlike the poorly fortified villages that Russian troops are trying to capture near Avdiivka, Verbove has a concentric ring of fortifications. It begins with a trench wide enough to hold up advancing tanks and armored vehicles, followed by a grid of cement obstacles known as "dragon's teeth" also used to stop vehicles, and finally a wide infantry trench. Satellite images taken in February show multi-layered Russian defenses to the west of Verbovoy, and thousands of shell craters in the surrounding fields, the authors of the material emphasize.
The publication cites a number of reasons for the obvious shortcomings of the defense of the Ukrainian military.
According to American officials and military experts, Ukrainian officials may have been too focused on offensive operations last year to allocate the necessary resources for the construction of numerous trenches and tank traps that Russian engineers have been building since the end of 2022 in the south of the country. .
American officials speculate that a psychological factor may have contributed to the impact.
If Ukrainian troops intensively mine certain areas in order to prevent the advance of Russian troops, this will be a tacit admission that they are unlikely to conduct offensive operations in the same area in the future, the article emphasizes.
As an example, the journalists point out that while Moscow began building defensive lines in the south more than six months before Kyiv's counteroffensive, Ukraine appears to have begun planning new fortifications only three months ago.
During a visit to the front line at the end of November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that the territories in the east of the Donetsk region, where Avdiivka is located, "will be given maximum attention," noting "the need to strengthen and accelerate the construction of structures."
But Pasi Paroinen, an analyst at the Black Bird Group, which analyzes satellite imagery and social media content from the battlefield, said "nothing significant has happened" since Zelenskyi's visit.
According to the analyst, "new positions are being prepared outside Avdiivka, but they do not yet constitute a particularly formidable defensive line" and are not comparable in scale to the Russian fortifications in the south.
As the NYT notes, delays in the construction of fortifications mean that Ukrainian forces may be forced to fortify their defensive lines under fire from the Russian army, making this task much more difficult.
