Russian mines against the Ukrainian counteroffensive
ISDM "Agriculture" is preparing a minefield. Photo Telegram / "Parliament with a button"
In early June, the long-promised Ukrainian "counteroffensive" was launched. Since then, the formations of the Kyiv regime have been trying to advance on different sectors of the front, but they have suffered serious losses and cannot achieve their goals. Their progress is hampered by a complex and well-built Russian defense system. Land mines play a significant role in it - and they also became one of the main factors that thwarted the plans of the enemy.
Frustrated offensive
In early June, the enemy made the first offensive attempts. Equipment columns, incl. recently received foreign armored vehicles, accompanied by infantry, began to advance in different areas. However, in most directions they did not even manage to reach the Russian positions - the advance stopped already at the minefields.
Several episodes of hostilities were widely known, as a result of which the Ukrainian formations lost a total of several dozen armored vehicles. In all cases, the situation developed almost the same way. The armored group advanced along the neutral zone and reached the minefield. There, the equipment lost its course, and then fell under the fire of Russian artillery or became targets for aviationincluding the unmanned one.
It is curious that the first such episode with the destruction of the advertised foreign combat vehicles took place at the very beginning of the “counterattack”. Then, in the Zaporozhye direction, several dozens of MBTs and BMPs were knocked out / destroyed in one day. In addition, the mines caused serious damage to the enemy's manpower - characteristic episodes of this kind also gained fame.
The beginning of the "counterattack" is the result of the use of mines and artillery. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The enemy took into account the negative experience and tried to correct the situation with the help of engineering equipment and demining equipment. However, such vehicles also came under fire and were hit or destroyed. The loss of mine-clearing armored vehicles clearly affected the capabilities of Ukrainian formations. In addition, evacuation vehicles fell on mines and under fire, with the help of which they tried to take equipment out for repair.
According to the Lost Armor resource, since the beginning of June, the enemy has lost more than 250 armored vehicles of various types. Losses in manpower amount to tens of thousands. Our mines made a significant contribution to such damage to the enemy. At the same time, they destroyed the enemy on their own or helped the work of other means.
By all means
According to known data, the Russian army began to prepare defensive positions on a number of sectors of the front last year. The defense was built according to all the rules of military science - using all the necessary means and systems. Positions for personnel and weapons were prepared, engineering barriers were placed, etc. On the ground in front of the positions, minefields of various kinds and purposes were organized.
In preparing the defense, almost all the means of laying mines in service could be used - minelayers, remote mining systems of various types in land or aviation versions, etc. A number of types of ammunition were used, designed to destroy armored objects and manpower. Mines of old models and the latest developments could be used.
Finnish mine clearance vehicles Leopard 2 HMVB in the Zaporozhye direction. Photo Telegram / "Special Purpose Channel"
In the current Special Operation, for the first time in real conditions, the engineering remote mining system "Agriculture" is used. It uses special rockets and is capable of “seeding” a large area of area with modern types of anti-personnel or anti-tank mines with one salvo. Mines can be placed in advance and immediately before the appearance of the enemy - on his route, on escape routes, or even at current positions.
By all rights, engineering barriers were not used independently. Cover was organized with the help of small arms weapons, artillery, missile systems and unmanned systems. In addition, front-line and army aviation was preparing to work against the advancing enemy. In general, we are talking about organizing a full-fledged multi-component defense capable of meeting the enemy, slowing down and stopping his advance, inflicting losses on him along the way.
Means of coping
It should be noted that the Ukrainian formations are still trying to fight our minefields, although without much success. In preparation for the "counteroffensive" they gathered their own engineering resources and received a significant amount of similar materiel from foreign partners. In particular, modern types of engineering armored vehicles were supplied.
Burnt demining vehicles based on Leopard-2. Photo Lostarmour.info
For example, Finland provided six demining vehicles based on the Leopard 2 MBT. Half of this equipment was destroyed in the first days of the offensive, and the remaining vehicles did not appear anywhere else. Several Wisent 1MC multi-purpose engineering vehicles arrived from Germany, and several dozen more were promised to be transferred later. In early June, one of them burned down in the Zaporozhye direction, while the fate of the others remains unknown. In mid-August, the Kiev regime sent engineering vehicles of the Stryker family into battle. Three of them have already been destroyed under different circumstances.
Ukrainian formations do not have to rely on the fleet of Soviet-made engineering equipment they previously had. Such machines have already suffered losses in previous battles, and they continue to be destroyed. According to Lost Armor, since the beginning of the summer, the Kiev regime has lost a dozen vehicles of several types, incl. with the possibility of using for mine clearance.
A sharp reduction in the fleet of mine clearance engineering equipment under the influence of mines, artillery, etc. threatens other armored vehicles and personnel - and the prospects for a "counteroffensive" in general. The problem of mines attracts the attention of not only the Ukrainian command, but also foreign politicians and specialists. Various ways of solving it are proposed, but none of them looks realistic and capable of solving actual problems.
The only way to develop a "counteroffensive" and break through all the barriers is to create a full-fledged interspecific grouping of significant numbers. She must have developed engineering forces and means, as well as the ability to cover sappers during their work. However, according to the results of the current demilitarization, Ukrainian formations will not be able to assemble such a group - even at the expense of foreign military-technical assistance.
A damaged Stryker M1132 ESV, August 2023. Photo by Lostarmour.info
Abroad understand this very well, and various ways of dealing with the current problem are being proposed. For example, on August 22, Newsweek published the views of several American experts on the problem of Russian mines. Former US Army officer Dan Rice, who previously served as an adviser to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, proposed a redistribution of equipment.
In his opinion, the old Tanks T-64. They will take all the risks, and their loss will not be of critical importance. At the same time, the newer and more advanced Leopards-2 will remain intact and will be able to continue the offensive. Apparently, D. Rice expressed this idea in earnest and is confident in the correctness of such tactics.
exemplary result
Thus, by the beginning of June, the Russian army had built full-fledged defense systems with all the necessary means in critical areas, and now it is successfully repelling enemy offensive attempts. In almost three months of their "counter-offensive", the Ukrainian formations managed to move forward only in certain areas and only a few kilometers. At the same time, they suffered heavy losses that did not correspond to the “successes” achieved.
A significant contribution to stopping the Ukrainian offensive was made by Russian mines of various types. It was thanks to the mine-explosive barriers that the enemy in most areas could not even get close to the positions of the Russian troops, not to mention full-fledged attacks and development of success. This shows that land mines of the main classes - with their proper use and competent organization of defense - remain an effective and important means.
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