Trenches with rudimentary living quarters are being dug under cover of darkness. Artillery rumbles not far away.
New defensive lines near the north-eastern city of Kupiansk on Dec 28 show how Ukraine has stepped up construction of fortifications in recent months as it shifts its military operations against Russia to a more defensive footing.
The defences, which bear some similarities to those rolled out in the Russian-occupied south and east, aim to help Ukraine weather assaults while regenerating its forces as Moscow takes the battlefield initiative, military analysts said.
"As soon as the troops are moving, traversing fields, you can do without fortifications," a Ukrainian army engineer with the call sign "Lynx" said near Kupiansk.
"But when the troops stop, you need to immediately dig into the ground." President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine was "significantly enhancing" fortifications on Nov 28 after a counteroffensive that it launched in June was unable to rapidly punch through Russian lines.
Kyiv says it is unswayed in its ambition to retake all remaining occupied territory, but is for now focused on politically sensitive conscription reforms to replenish manpower while also addressing artillery shortages at the front.
Russia has been ramping up offensive pressure around eastern towns such as Kupiansk, Lyman and Avdiivka, and no longer needs to hold back its reserve troops for fear of a possible Ukrainian breakthrough, the military analysts said.
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin January 13, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin January 13, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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