Satellite images show that the Russian military has begun building “dragon’s teeth” in the Luhansk region, using World War II tactics to strengthen its defensive line.

Russian trenchesPhoto: Juma Mohammad / Zuma Press / Profimedia Images

The line of defense consists of two rows of “dragon’s teeth” followed by trenches, probably built to stop combat vehicles, the last line of defense being firing positions for infantry and tanks.

Dragon’s Teeth are small reinforced concrete fortifications first built during World War II to counter tanks and mechanized infantry. Their purpose was to slow down combat vehicles and “bring” them to specially prepared areas where they could be easily attacked by anti-tank weapons.

Germany especially used this tactic on the Siegfried Line in the west of the country, the German equivalent of the French Maginot Line. The fortifications, however, were unable to stop the Allied armies after the Normandy landings and the offensive in Germany that followed the liberation of France.

The construction of the “dragon’s teeth” was largely abandoned after the Second World War, but in some of its strategic areas Switzerland continues to maintain such fortifications to this day, also known as “Toblerone lines” due to the row placement of the structures, which resembles the shape of the famous Swiss chocolate.

PHOTO: Associated Press / Profimedia Images

Luhansk Oblast appears to be the only Russian-controlled region where Ukrainian armed forces have not launched large-scale attacks over the past month and a half, most likely due to the concentration of forces on other fronts.

But after the catastrophic collapse of the Russian front in Kharkiv, pro-Russian separatists in nearby Luhansk warned Moscow on September 15 that Ukrainian troops had reached the “borders of the republic” they claimed they had created in eastern Ukraine.

Two weeks later, it was officially annexed by Russia. The fact that Russian forces are building such fortifications here may mean that they have given up any offensive aspirations in the area and are trying to strengthen their defenses in anticipation of winter.

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