The changing tactics of Russian attacks are forcing Ukraine to adapt, building shorter defensive lines and lower fortifications that are harder to detect by drones circling over combat zones. But this change is hampered by the chaotic approach to strengthening the front - tactics vary dramatically depending on the decisions of local commanders. Moreover, even the best-built positions remain ineffective due to the chronic shortage of fighters in the Ukrainian army, writes Veronika Melkozerova in a report for Politico.
The new strategy is a reaction to the changed Russian tactics - Moscow no longer relies on large-scale offensives with tanks and armored vehicles, but attacks with small assault groups supported by drones, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov explained last week.
In response, Ukraine is building defensive structures designed for ever smaller combat units - from battalions (about 500 people), through companies (about 100 people), to platoons of only 20-50 soldiers.
"Currently, the most effective positions are for a maximum of one squad. These are usually groups of trenches or so-called "fox holes", which make the use of drones for attack almost impossible. "Today, a drone, especially with an optical link, can penetrate any shelter," said the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Syrsky, in Kiev at the end of June.
Previously, strongpoints were vast networks of trenches between 2 and 5 kilometers long. The new approach relies on smaller fortifications - trenches 60-70 meters long and mandatory anti-drone coverage. "They are harder to detect and effective for both defense and fire strikes, including against FPV drones," Umerov explained.
Behind the front, Ukraine continues to build two more defensive lines - with concrete tetrahedrons ("dragon's teeth"), minefields, foxholes, wooden and concrete trenches, nets and anti-drone covers.
"Fortifications are not just concrete and trenches - they are an adaptive engineering system, tailored to the enemy's tactics and with one main goal: to protect our soldiers. "We are monitoring the process daily and strengthening the most vulnerable areas," Minister Umerov added.
While in the past fortifications were often built in open terrain to stop massive tank attacks, they are now being built around forest belts that offer better cover.
Who is building what?
The high command claims that the army is doing a good job of building defensive lines. According to Umerov, most of what was planned for last year has been completed, and more than half of what was planned for this year is already ready.
But the impressions of military experts and fighters on the front lines, with whom POLITICO spoke, are far more critical.
In Dnipro - a large city in central Ukraine, where the army, local authorities and other structures work in sync - three solid defensive lines have already been built, designed to stop a possible Russian offensive from the Donetsk region.
However, the situation is much more unpredictable in the northeast of the country, where Russia is currently waging a major offensive.
"In Sumy and Kharkiv regions, there is complete chaos. Almost no one knows who is responsible for what, who should control the construction and what exactly is being done," said Roman Pogoriliy, co-founder of DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source intelligence group that has created a map of the war. According to him, the latest Russian offensive has finally forced the authorities to speed up the fortification work. "We always wait until the last moment", he says.
Pogoriliy sharply criticized the uncoordinated efforts around the fortifications in the key northeastern region of Sumy Oblast.
"In the village of Yunakovka, Sumy Oblast, for example, there were just abandoned piles of dragon's teeth. In some places there are trenches, then in the forest - nothing, and that's exactly where there should be. And then trenches again. I would slap those responsible for this," he says indignantly.
Although the Ministry of Defense has overall control, the actual construction and maintenance of the lines is carried out by different structures: the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service under the ministry, as well as local military and civil administrations.
In January, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal announced that in 2023 the government has invested 46.2 billion hryvnias (930 million euros) in building over 3,000 defensive positions - both on active front lines and in risky areas without ongoing fighting.
The hardest part of the work continues to be done by soldiers in the trenches.
"Ukrainian fighters are still digging the first line of defense with shovels - often during active fighting," General Sirsky said.
Chronic shortage of men
Despite the new mobilization campaign, Ukraine continues to lose ground along the 1,200-kilometer front to the Russian army.
"If the fortification is not well-equipped with manpower - if, for example, there are only two or three fighters in a well-prepared post - then it cannot fulfill its mission," Sirsky explained.
The Russians look for weak spots in the defense and strike there, say two Ukrainian soldiers who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity.
"It all depends on the commander. If he orders digging and mining, the place will be well-fortified. "If not, the Russians see this and attack the neighboring position," one of the fighters says.
Pogoriliy confirms this: "The Russians attack everywhere and look for the weak link. Once they find it, they concentrate forces and resources there and try to break through. And then our defense starts to fall apart, unfortunately," he says.
Disappointment at the front
Many soldiers are disappointed that the army is not using tactical opportunities to build defenses against future attacks in a timely manner.
Ukrainian units have been holding more than 60,000 Russian soldiers in the Kursk region for six months, preventing them from entering the Sumy region. According to them, this has given the authorities enough time to build the necessary defenses along the border.
"We gave enough time for preparation, but it was not used effectively. Protective nets against FPV drones on the main supply routes began to be installed only in January - when we were already under constant attack, "says Ukrainian soldier Artyom Karyakin.
"As a result, the route, which could have been fully secured between August and December 2024, turned into a "road of life" along which our weapons systems passed with a 30-70% chance of not being hit," he adds.
Karyakin explains that the construction of dugouts and the placement of the first teeth of the dragon began only when Ukrainian forces were already withdrawing from Kursk.
"By the time most of the dugouts were ready, the Russians had already come significantly closer and many of the positions were no longer of strategic importance. In my opinion, those responsible for the fortifications wasted valuable time and ultimately failed to fulfill their task. The job was done, but with major and completely illogical delays," he said.
According to DeepState data, in June alone, Russian forces captured 500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory - their fastest advance in months.