Anastacia Galouchka
and
June 2, 2023 at 1:00 a.m. EDT
Ukrainian troopers from the first Tank Brigade function a Soviet-era T-64 throughout observe maneuvers within the Zaporizhzhia area Could 24. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Publish)Touch upon this storyComment
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — As Ukraine prepares to launch a long-trumpeted counterattack, the primary impediment its troopers should push by means of isn’t Russia’s defenses. It’s their very own.
Like Russia, Ukraine has laid 1000’s of mines alongside its entrance line. And to advance into occupied territory, its troops now have to get by means of these traces with out tipping off the Russians, who would discover if heavy equipment have been introduced in or explosions have been set off. This implies sappers should exit to the fields and quietly take away the mines.
They do it by hand. At evening.
“Everybody’s arms shake,” mentioned the 42-year-old commander of engineers within the 1st Tank Brigade, whom The Washington Publish is figuring out solely by his name signal, Klimat, for safety causes.
Klimat mentioned this type of mine-clearing work has been ongoing for weeks, however he declined to explain exact places or strategies used to deactivate the mines. As soon as a path has been cleared, he mentioned, indicators are arrange — typically lighted, with the beams going through away from Russian positions — to point out a path ahead.
That’s simply step one. Then comes the battle towards the Russians.
Exactly the place it should begin is inconceivable to know. However hypothesis has centered closely on the Zaporizhzhia area as a result of it’s a strategic lifeline for Russia’s occupation. If Ukraine pushes south by means of the area, it might minimize off the “land bridge” connecting occupied Crimea with mainland Russia.
With the Kremlin hellbent on protecting the land it has stolen in Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces have ripped it aside, remodeling big expanses of once-sleepy agricultural fields right into a veritable fortress with webs of trenches and different obstacles that may be seen from area.
To retake territory and oust the Russians, the Ukrainians must punch by means of these fortifications. That requires particular coaching and tools in addition to cautious reconnaissance to discover a weak spot — in all probability one in every of plenty of causes the long-awaited counteroffensive has not began but.
Serhii Matveichuk, a colonel in Ukraine’s Directorate of Engineer Troops, advised The Washington Publish that Russia had created a “huge system of engineering obstacles” that pose a “critical impediment to the mobility of troops.”
The target of Russia’s huge fortification venture is to sluggish a possible assault and to channel any Ukrainian forces that break by means of right into a slim space. This may permit Russia’s reserves to regroup and provides its artillery time to strike the attackers, doubtlessly ending the counteroffensive earlier than it actually begins.
Russian-built fortifications
Space held by
Russia-backed
separatists
since 2014
Illegally
annexed by
Russia in 2014
Supply: Brady Africk, who analyzed satellite tv for pc imagery from Copernicus Open Entry Hub, supplied fortifications knowledge, which doesn’t embrace all fortifications in Ukraine; some defenses predate Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Russian-built fortifications
Space held by
Russia-backed
separatists
since 2014
Illegally annexed by
Russia in 2014
Supply: Brady Africk, who analyzed satellite tv for pc imagery from Copernicus Open Entry Hub, supplied fortifications knowledge, which doesn’t embrace all fortifications in Ukraine; some defenses predate Russia’s full-scale invasion.
If it really works, it may very well be a massacre. “It’s loads like World Struggle I,” mentioned Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps officer and protection professional with the Heart for Strategic & Worldwide Research, evaluating it to the bloody stalemate of trench warfare in that battle over a century in the past. “If the Russians battle laborious, it’ll be powerful to interrupt by means of.”
Ukrainian officers declined to debate the specifics of any plan to push by means of Russian fortifications, scared of releasing operational data that may very well be utilized by Russia. Matveichuk and different Ukrainian officers spoke to The Publish given that their places not be revealed.
Ukrainian engineers and sappers are already at work, in some circumstances utilizing new tools designed to pierce these kinds of defenses, together with specifically modified autos based mostly on the famed Leopard 2 German battle tank.
However some analysts say that whereas Kyiv’s Western backers have centered on missiles, armored autos and ammunition, they haven’t dedicated the fitting help to interrupt by means of Russia’s defenses. Matveichuk mentioned it was “problematic” that the Ukrainian military was wanting engineering tanks and different such instruments.
Based on Ukrainian troopers, Russia lays its mines in a sample: one line of antitank mines, a line of antipersonnel traces alongside booby traps, after which one other line of antitank mines. Drones can be utilized to identify the antitank mines, troopers say, however antipersonnel mines are more durable to seek out.
As soon as the Ukrainians are by means of their very own traces and in potential sight of Russian forces, breaking by means of these minefields usually requires much less stealth and extra pace.
In concept, artillery hearth can explode mines from afar. However artillery rounds are in restricted provide, and Ukrainian troopers mentioned it was inconceivable to make certain that all of the mines in an space are destroyed.
As an alternative, fashionable militaries use specifically designed tools like mechanized mine clearers, engineering tanks and line prices, that are gadgets that use explosives related to a line to clear a chosen space of mines.
Ukraine has its personal mine clearers, such because the UR-77 Meteorit, a Soviet-designed car that makes use of the identical chassis because the outdated 2S1 howitzer. This closely armored car makes use of built-in line prices to clear areas as much as 300 toes forward of it. It’s also utilized by the Russian military.
Ukraine’s mine-clearing tanks
The UR-77 is provided with a rocket-propelled explosive line cost system referred to as the MDK-3.
It’s based mostly on the chassis of the 2S1 tracked self-propelled howitzer.
The system works by launching a line cost stuffed with explosives over a minefield.
As soon as the road cost is in place, it’s detonated, making a shockwave that neutralizes or detonates any mines close to the explosion making a protected path as much as 6 meters huge and 90 meters lengthy.
The Leopard 2R mine-clearing tanks that Finland has transferred to Ukraine are developed on the premise of the Leopard 2A4 tank.
These tanks are outfitted with a mine plow, a bulldozer bucket and an automatic marking system.
Notice: Illustrations are to not scale.
Sources: armyrecognition.com, mil.in.ua
Ukraine’s mine-clearing tanks
The UR-77 is provided with a rocket-propelled explosive line cost system referred to as the MDK-3.
It’s based mostly on the chassis of the 2S1 tracked self-propelled howitzer.
The system works by launching a line cost stuffed with explosives over a minefield.
As soon as the road cost is in place, it’s detonated, making a shockwave that neutralizes or detonates any mines close to the explosion and creates a protected path as much as 6 meters huge and 90 meters lengthy.
The Leopard 2R mine-clearing tanks that Finland has transferred to Ukraine are developed on the premise of the Leopard 2A4 tank.
These tanks are outfitted with a mine plow, a bulldozer bucket and an automatic marking system.
Notice: Illustrations are to not scale.
Sources: armyrecognition.com, mil.in.ua
Western nations have additionally despatched some fashionable engineering tanks, together with Leopard 2R mine-clearing tanks equipped by Finland, that may plow by means of minefields. These autos, developed by Germany, are based mostly on the chassis of the well-known battle tank and use closely armored mine plows to detonate the mines of their path.
Matveichuk declined to debate what equipment can be utilized in a counteroffensive as a result of disclosures might lead to “the enemy creating countermeasures.” Nevertheless, he famous that heavy engineering tanks just like the Leopard 2R have been notably helpful as they can’t solely clear mines and likewise push by means of different obstacles like fences and piles.
However the best choice for this work — the M1150 Assault Breacher Automobile, based mostly on the chassis of the American-made M1 Abrams battle tank — isn’t out there to Ukraine, Matveichuk mentioned. Washington has been urged to ship them however has not performed so.
“Regardless of the numerous quantity of weapons supplied to Ukraine to repel the aggressor’s assault, the problematic situation is the availability of engineering models with engineering tanks” and different applied sciences, Matveichuk wrote.
The USA has repeatedly listed “mine clearing tools” in its navy assist for Ukraine, with out offering particulars. Open-source weapons trackers have noticed the M58 Mine Clearing Line Cost, often known as the MICLIC, within the nation.
Steve Danner, a former U.S. Military engineer who now works as an infrastructure marketing consultant, mentioned different tools may very well be despatched: He pointed to a sort of U.S.-owned armored digger, the Israeli-developed IDF Caterpillar D9. They have been utilized in Iraq however at the moment are “simply rusting away” in storage in Kuwait, he mentioned.
“I’m actually nervous that Ukraine isn’t outfitted to cope with these in depth obstacles,” Danner mentioned.
Ukrainian troopers are all too conscious that an offensive this 12 months gained’t be so simple as the profitable counterattacks towards Russian forces final fall.
“The enemy is studying from their errors,” mentioned Yuri, a 29-year-old unit commander with the first Tank Brigade who supplied solely his first identify for safety causes. “They’re higher ready.”
For Russia, the heavy, soiled work of fortification in Zaporizhzhia turned pressing after Ukraine pushed Moscow’s troops from the northern Kharkiv area and compelled them to retreat east throughout the Dnieper River within the southern Kherson area.
Although the trenches, ditches, minefields and fences are unfold all throughout occupied Ukraine now, Zaporizhzhia has seen the heaviest of the work.
Brady Africk, an open supply analyst who works for the American Enterprise Institute, mentioned that the heavy fortification mirrored the “comparatively flat topography which supplies fewer pure obstacles than are current in occupied areas of japanese Ukraine” or that the Dnieper River supplies in Kherson.
The problem for Russia is attempting to guess the place alongside the 600-mile-long entrance Ukraine will mount its assaults, however satellite tv for pc imagery reveals Russia is acutely conscious that Zaporizhzhia may very well be a spotlight. Strains of fortification have been constructed not solely round Melitopol, a serious metropolis now serving as a Russian logistical hub within the south, but additionally alongside the roads to Crimea and on the peninsula itself.
If Ukrainian forces can discover a path by means of the minefields, they are going to then want to make use of a method of mixed arms to rapidly break by means of.
Trenches have to be taken rapidly by infantry with the help of artillery, earlier than hiding Russian troopers can use the dugouts to fireside antitank missiles, Cancian mentioned. Ukrainian tanks might then push ahead together with engineering equipment, together with bridging autos that permit others to move over ditches and small rivers.
These models must transfer quick. Specialists mentioned even only one small breach within the enemy’s fortifications have to be exploited with out hesitation. With Russian defenses stretched alongside the entrance, a quick Ukrainian assault might overwhelm them.
9 Ukrainian brigades have been coaching overseas in current months. Cancian mentioned a number of of them will in all probability act as “tip of the spear” within the assault.
“Then they’ll get into the ‘inexperienced fields past,’ as they are saying,” mentioned Cancian, referring to the elusive navy prize in World Struggle I trench warfare.
Specialists say that Russia can have at the least one line of reserves that may rush to the entrance to attempt to minimize off a Ukrainian advance. They could nicely have extra.
“There’s loads round Melitopol,” mentioned James Rand, an analyst with the personal intelligence agency Janes. “The Russians clearly assume that the Ukrainians are going to come back south.”
Rand added that new weapons know-how just like the U.S.-provided Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and the more moderen Storm Shadow long-range missile system supplied by Britain will affect the place Russia positions its reserves.
“The Russians are going to have to consider what they transfer again,” mentioned Rand, including that reserves might show to be a “huge juicy goal” for Storm Shadows, which have a variety of as much as 180 miles — placing Melitopol inside attain.
If they’ll push by means of, Ukraine must as soon as once more lay defenses, and the sappers will probably be again at work, this time laying mines. Ukraine has used outdated Soviet-developed mines, together with the TM-62 antitank mine.
“We put a blanket on the mines so that they don’t get chilly,” Klimat, the engineers commander, joked as he confirmed off the mines, which have been saved in an outdated GMZ-3 minelayer close by.
Once they lay the mines, they are going to maintain data, he added, in case they must discover a means by means of once more.
Understanding the Russia-Ukraine battle
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