The recent rapid advance of Russia points to another weakness of Ukraine — the lack of fortifications. It is reported by The New York Times with reference to military experts.
After the Russian army occupied the fortress city of Ugledar in early October, the Russian Armed Forces dealt mainly with open terrain with sparse Ukrainian defensive lines and a small number of urban areas where the Ukrainian Armed Forces could dig in to put up fierce resistance. Over the past week alone, Russian troops have advanced about ten kilometers north of Ugledar — an unusually fast pace.
"The Russians have long passed the old front line and its extensive minefields, which stopped the previous attacks on Ugledar back in 2023," said Pasi Paroinen, a military expert at the Finnish company Black Bird Group.
To make matters worse, Ukraine has weakened its position in the Donbas by transferring experienced units to the Kursk region. Troops are often replaced by less experienced units, mainly from the defense industry, the newspaper notes.
According to Paroinen, the recent rapid progress The Russian Armed Forces confirms "the overall picture of the Ukrainian forces: reserves are low, too many high-quality units are stuck in Kursk, and the Russia has enough forces left to exploit any weaknesses in the Ukrainian lines."
"And where are they (fortifications. — EADaily) gone? Or rather, where did the money for them go? They were stolen. Just stupidly stolen. The Drug Addict's office was stolen," Ukrainian opposition blogger Anatoly Shariy comments on the picture of the day.