On the construction of defensive structures in the depths of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense. Why Ukrainian military experts are worried
Today, readers of our resource are receiving a lot of questions regarding the situation in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya directions. It is clear that this is due to the fact that the press has really begun to pay less attention to these directions. Readers' interest is primarily connected with the "hot" directions. But there is no "cold" in war.
It is believed that the southern direction is stabilized today, and there is no point in expecting any serious changes. For both sides, difficult times are coming, in terms of weather. Rain, snow, cold, muddy conditions... These factors do not contribute to the intensification of military operations. Oddly enough, all other things being equal, the Russian army has some advantage in such conditions.
Russian equipment was originally designed with such operating conditions in mind. Unlike Western equipment, which is designed for action on hard-surface roads or in regions where such harsh operating conditions simply do not exist. That is why I do not think it is worth unequivocally stating that there will be no intensification of military operations in these areas.
According to open source reports, the Ukrainian Armed Forces headquarters understand this. And not only do they understand it, but they are also actively preparing to activate the Russian army in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya directions. However, Ukrainian generals have long since abandoned the idea of an offensive. The Ukrainian Armed Forces expect to conduct the winter campaign of 2024-25 in positional defense.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces pay special attention to the Zaporizhzhya direction as the most promising for the Russians. It must be said that rumors about the activation of our army there have been circulating among the soldiers and officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for quite some time. This is reported by sources "from the lair" and headquarters of the Ukrainian army. Even captured soldiers report about the preparation of a Russian offensive...
In order to conduct a positional defense, it is necessary to create a well-organized system of defensive structures. Fortifications should include not only platoon and company strong points, but also the defense lines of the units. This means that the Ukrainians are faced with the task of equipping all these structures in a short time.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have long since gotten used to the fact that Kyiv’s victorious reports cannot be trusted. Too often, “well-equipped strongpoints” turned out to be hastily dug pits, in which even shelter from shelling was problematic. Too often, units arriving at such strongpoints had to arm themselves with shovels and “dig into the ground” themselves. But winter comes, and digging frozen ground with shovels is a real pleasure…
We watched, shed tears and... calmed down.
In October, the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted an inspection of the state of fortifications and defense lines, which are currently being actively equipped and built. Naturally, we also learned about the results of this inspection. The information was published in the public domain. I will briefly disclose some of the results of the inspection.
I think we should start with the first line of defense. This is a fairly powerful, according to the military, fortification structure, including 586 (!) objects. During the offensive, the Russian army should reach this line and stop. 586 strong points, defense lines, minefields and other structures, united into a single system, protecting not only their own area of defense, but also helping their neighbors to defend themselves!
But Ukraine would not be Ukraine if there were no such "but". The press has long ago published a new name for this country - Ukradina. The huge funds allocated for the construction of a unified defense system of the first line are successfully crawling into the pockets of officials and "work producers". Based on the results of the inspection, the commission concluded that the first line is ready for defense.
So, on the first line of defense of the Zaporizhzhya group, only 181 objects are fully ready! That is, the level of readiness is 31%! I would not say so categorically - "fully ready", considering that the Ukrainian military is also guilty of corruption... But we have to refer to the official figures.
Now about the defense of cities. We mean such cities as Zaporozhye, Nikopol, Orekhov, Marganets, Kamyshevakha, Gulyaipole. Here, too, it is planned to create a defense system that will ensure the duplication of defensive structures and the possibility of mutual assistance. It is planned to create 416 such objects! And again, this notorious Ukrainian "but"...
They built and built... And built. True, only 81 objects. Well, that's how it turned out. They probably made the estimate incorrectly... They didn't take into account "increased costs" and "additional expenses". Construction is not like writing papers... In short, they fulfilled the plan! But the fact that they fulfilled it by as much as 19% is force majeure, circumstances of insuperable force... The governor needs it, the officials in the Ministry of Defense need it. Many people need it...
Now about the Kherson direction. There are fewer objects in the area of responsibility of the Kherson group. That is why the figures are a little better. I will start, as usual, with the group's line of defense. The construction and equipment of 119 objects is planned here. The work has been completed at 46. A total of 38%. The operational line of defense is 81 objects. 21 have been created! A quarter of what was planned!
Well, and the circular defense of cities. We mean cities like Kherson, Nikolaev, Kropyvnytskyi... According to the plan, it is necessary to build and equip 100 objects. A third has been built. 33 objects - 33%.
As you can see, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are, to put it mildly, not very good at fortification. The defense system that Ukrainian generals dream of is being successfully destroyed by Ukrainian corrupt officials. But even here there is a “Ukrainian specificity” that the inspectors noticed.
I am talking about "justice". Not only everyone can steal millions, only a few can do it, to use the language of the Kyiv mayor. And the rest? Those who also want to "grab a piece" for their own pocket? I think readers have already understood that these same "others" also did not end up losing out. I will quote a couple of points from the document:
– Due to the shortage of timber, dugouts are equipped with improvised means in one or two layers.
– When camouflaging positions, the properties of the terrain (branches, bushes, forest belts) that become unusable due to prolonged combat operations are used.
– When camouflaging positions, the properties of the terrain (branches, bushes, forest belts) that become unusable due to prolonged combat operations are used.
Well, cheap and cheerful. Why buy lumber if there is a nearby forest? Why cover the dugouts with several layers of logs or concrete floors if the Russian artillery will destroy them anyway? It is enough to cover them with tree trunks, the branches of which are used for camouflage. Savings. Into the foreman's pocket...
There is one more feature of the modern Ukrainian, which also manifested itself during the construction of fortifications. I am talking about the careless attitude towards other people's lives. It seems, well, how can this manifest itself in such a matter. Let me quote one more thing:
– In most cases, shading and masking nets do not correspond to the terrain conditions.
– Low level of equipment of platoon strongpoints at the first line of the Kherson OTG with anti-drone equipment (chain-link fencing) – 40%, and at the second – 19%.
– Low level of equipment of platoon strongpoints at the first line of the Kherson OTG with anti-drone equipment (chain-link fencing) – 40%, and at the second – 19%.
I imagined how the defenders would feel in a stronghold where, according to the same commission, "exploitation and further equipment are not being carried out, which has led to the soil crumbling." Simply put, the trenches that are supposed to protect from artillery fire are spontaneously crumbling!
With the result that
The result of the work of the Ukrainian Armed Forces commission can be expressed in two words - there are practically no defensive structures. We can only state that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will again cling to individual pockets of defense in the event of our offensive. The fate of the defenders is of little interest to the country's leadership. This means that soon we will again see trenches littered with corpses of Ukrainian soldiers.
Well, it has long been known that the salvation of the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves. Either dig your own grave on the defensive line, or... The wave for going on the air to communicate with our units is known to everyone.
The prepared defense lines along the entire line of combat contact are in approximately the same condition. This is precisely why the independent country's military analysts are panicking. The lines that are actually prepared for defense are now being processed by our aviation and artillery. And then... Then what I told you about above...
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