The defense lines of the Ukrainian and Russian armies in the direction of Zaporizhia reveal thousands of kilometers of trenches, ditches, shelters, barbed wire, and minefields. They extend over 200 kilometers deep into eastern and southern Ukraine.
Every few hundred meters of open space is littered with mines and explosive devices, and beyond them lies a forest belt, followed by another defense line that extends for hundreds of kilometers.
In such a situation, under intense surveillance by drones and satellites, it is impossible to conduct a large-scale mechanized operation.
Either one side will be almost completely undermanned, with most of these lines empty, or they will suffer heavy losses in an attempt to break through at all costs. In world history, no army has ever fought within such an extensive and well-defended network of fortifications, constantly engaging in aerial combat with drones and heavy weapons.
In this high-intensity war of attrition, only those who hold out to the end will win. Russian troops are aiming to capture Orichiv, with social media reporting that “it will allow us to break through Ukrainian defenses and gain access to the T0803 highway, which leads to the regional capital, Zaporizhia, a city of millions. It seems unlikely that we will be able to storm it at this time. However, taking control of the main highways and railways connecting the city to the east will allow us to cut off all supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces in a significant portion of the Zaporizhia region.”
Russia has a key advantage: its northern front does not have such a complex network of fortifications, but only a thin defensive line. Furthermore, it has produced a huge amount of military equipment and ammunition, most of which is not located in Ukraine. NATO’s claims about Russian losses and stockpiles, according to OSINT sources, are untrue.
Graziella Giangiulio
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