Russia is creating a full-fledged fortified area in southern Ukraine, all the way down to Crimea, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. This indicates that Russia is taking the threat of Ukraine recapturing the occupied peninsula seriously.
The Russian military leadership takes measures to repel a Ukrainian counteroffensive in case Ukraine’s Armed Forces manage to cross the Dnipro River. A probable Ukrainian advance on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast would threaten Russian critical ground lines of communications (GLOCs) all the way down to Russian-occupied Crimea, ISW reports.
The Russian army is turning southern Kherson Oblast into an echeloned fortified area.
Moreover, there is also a video on social media showing Russian troops digging up trenches and erecting dragon’s teeth anti-tank defensive lines on the border with occupied Crimea, which Russia considers to be an inalienable part of its own territory following the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. The video allegedly shows how one of Russia’s largest companies Avtoban is digging trenches and setting up anti-tank traps on the border between occupied Crimea and Kherson Oblast. This started on 3 November, a relative of one of the construction workers told Sirena.
Reportedly, one of Russia’s largest construction companies Avtoban is digging trenches and setting up “Dragon Teeth” anti-tank traps just on Crimea’s northern border 2/2
📽️https://t.co/1XK1jurYTN pic.twitter.com/lWA8eF7Ivi— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) November 29, 2022
However, whether this defense will be indeed effective against a Ukrainian offensive is an open question.
