Ukraine has strengthened the defensive line around Lyman and Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, as well as Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine is strengthening its defense
The Telegraph writes that new fortifications have appeared along key areas of the front and along Ukraine's borders with Russia and Belarus, all the way to the border with Poland.
According to a recent Reuters report, Kyiv has strengthened its defensive fortifications in the north by 63%.
The new defensive structures are very reminiscent of the so-called "Surovikin Line" — a three-layer system of trenches, tank traps and strongpoints that Russia successfully used to thwart Ukraine's counteroffensive.
At the same time, as the publication writes, the Ukrainians faced a problem, since the defense along the front line cannot be as tough as the Russian fortifications that stretched from Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk.
Active defense of the Armed Forces: what is known
Stronger fortifications would slow down Russian forces, reduce the number of Ukrainian troops needed for defense, and mean fewer casualties, but it would also reduce Kyiv's ability to regain occupied territory.
Because Ukrainian troops do not want to stand still, the concept of "active defense" has emerged: holding defensive lines while maintaining offensive action in the hope of finding weak points that could lead to the collapse of Russian lines.
The Telegraph notes that similar tactics led to a sudden counteroffensive in September 2022, when Ukraine liberated part of the territory in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine's goal for 2024 appears to be to replenish its combat forces and restore offensive combat power by next year.
