Under constant drone fire! Ukrainian military engineers hold back Russian offensive at the cost of heavy losses

Ukrainian military engineers hold back Russian offensive at the cost of heavy losses, the new line of defense in Donbas is under constant drone fire, writes Le Monde, quoted by Focus.

The engineers work in a zone of constant drone and artillery fire, risking their lives daily to build deep and camouflaged positions, thanks to which they can limit the advance of Russian troops.

Ukraine has begun large-scale construction of new defensive lines in the eastern part of the country, preparing for a prolonged war with Russia. In the Dnepropetrovsk region, 35 kilometers from the front lines of the Russian army, deep-echelon defense lines with barbed wire, anti-tank ditches, traps and underground fortifications are being built, stretching hundreds of kilometers deep into the country.

According to representatives of the military engineering units, this "colossal task" is a direct consequence of the realization that Moscow's aggression is far from over.

The press secretary of the State Special Transport Service Alexander stated:

"We have five or even ten years of war ahead of us... Putin will not be stopped by a ceasefire - only by firm coercion or the fall of the regime.“

Russia's Slow Advance

Despite the high intensity of the attacks, the advance of the Russian troops remains extremely slow. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in 2024 the Russian army advanced an average of 15 to 70 meters per day and in total captured less than 1.5% of the territory of Ukraine.

Russia's losses are unprecedented: as of February 2022, the total number of killed, wounded and missing, according to analysts, has reached 1.2 million people - the highest figure for a major power since World War II.

Drones and aerial bombs destroy fortifications

The Ukrainian military admits that no defensive line is impregnable.

“The Russians first destroy positions with KABs, then the drones work, and then the infantry comes in“, explains Vyacheslav Volodin, spokesman for the Southern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The lack of long-range air defense directly on the front and the lack of infantry are forcing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to switch to a different tactic - the construction of deeper, closed and maximally camouflaged positions.

Underground trenches and traps against drones

The new defensive positions are underground tunnels up to a kilometer long, reinforced with metal and reinforced concrete, with living quarters, ventilation and minimal exits to the outside.

"The danger from drones forced us to close all trenches. "It's a matter of survival," says the head of the engineering department, with the call sign "Karey".

Ukrainian engineers are also experimenting with new obstacles, including "low-visibility traps" made of metal wire and felled forest strips, which are effective even against low-flying fiber-optic drones.

Working on the edge of the possible

At the same time, the zone of constant attacks by Russian drones already exceeds 20 kilometers deep into Ukrainian positions. Building fortifications 5-15 kilometers from those of the Russians becomes a deadly mission.

"We have only one-tenth of the necessary resources“, admits Alexander.

Because of this, engineers are increasingly often found directly on the front line, actually performing combat tasks on a par with the infantry.