Under the pressure of recent losses on the battlefield, Kyiv is preparing for Russia’s spring offensive. Although Ukrainian forces are building fortifications “around the clock,” there are concerns that it is not being done quickly enough, according to Western and Ukrainian military officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.

After the rapid advance of Russian troops to the west of the city of Avdiyivka, there was criticism of the vulnerability of Ukrainian defense lines, or even their absence.

Russia has been attacking Ukrainian troops at several points along its roughly 1,000-kilometer front line, seeking to capitalize on its recent capture of the eastern city of Avdiyivka, Moscow’s first major battlefield victory in months.

As of late 2023, several analysts noted limited progress in fortification efforts as Russia began to seize the initiative in some areas of the front.

In November, Ukraine announced the start of a campaign to build an extensive network of fortifications along the front line, particularly in the areas near Avdiyivka.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called for speeding up construction and called on private companies and donors to join it.

Handicap of Ukraine

But Western officials and Ukrainian soldiers say the campaign has not yielded significant results, and the lack of progress is becoming a hindrance for Ukraine as Russia steps up its attacks.

In recent days, Moscow troops have pushed Ukrainian troops out of villages west of Avdiyivka, although the hills and streams further west may be natural obstacles for Kiev, which is easier to defend.

Moscow knows that the Ukrainian army lacks soldiers and ammunition, and the US and Europe are unable to quickly rearm Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials and military commanders say Russia’s current offensive tactics are aimed at seizing Moscow’s initiative on the battlefield ahead of what they see as a likely major Russian offensive this spring.

Mirror strategy of Ukraine

In preparation for the coming assault, Ukrainian troops are building trenches and anti-tank ditches, hoping to copy the Russian defenses that blocked a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year.

“What Russia has been preparing for for a long time now. It has gathered enough forces and resources to push in different directions at the same time,” Maxim Zhorin, deputy commander of the 3rd Airborne Assault Brigade, told the WSJ, referring to the mirror strategy being adopted by Kyiv.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian military digs trenches even under enemy fire, which complicates the situation. The construction of fortifications is now vital for Ukraine, not least because it is grappling with the mobilization of new troops.

“In the conditions in which we found ourselves, we have to dig, trench and build ourselves,” Zhorin said.

“The lack of a multi-layered defense along the front line should be a cause for concern in Ukraine,” defense analyst Franz-Stefan Gadi told the WSJ.

“The situation will become quite critical for the Ukrainian forces.”

Russia, which is unstoppable for at least two years

In addition, Moscow is able to assess the lessons learned at the front and increase its fighting capacity, according to a report by Lithuanian intelligence services, which estimated that high oil prices, sanctions evasion and public investment provide Russia with sufficient resources to continue the war in Ukraine with the current intensity for at least another two years.

Although Russia openly supplies weapons and ammunition only from Iran and North Korea, China has become the largest supplier of microchips and the yuan has become the main currency for Russia’s international operations, the report said.

Russia has reformed and strengthened its army, which fought in Ukraine in 2023, and is ready to expand its military capabilities along the border with NATO, including with Finland, which joined the alliance last year.

Problems with mobilization in Ukraine

Until now, only men over the age of 27 were accepted for service, but according to the bill being considered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the age is reduced to 25.

The construction of fortifications in front of Russian troops along the front line is being carried out “round the clock”, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal assured on Monday after criticism of the effectiveness of the defense lines of the Ukrainian army, AFP notes.

“I know that the Ministry of Defense has a global plan to create complete lines of fortifications,” the Ukrainian prime minister said at a press conference.

“Since last year, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff have had enough funds to build effective defense fortifications on the first and second front lines,” Prime Minister Schmihal explained.

He added that his government is also ready to finance “the construction of strong fortifications”, “of high quality, mostly concrete”, also on the third and even fourth line of defense.

Defense lines further from the front are usually built by civilian sector companies.

Ukraine has already allocated almost 790 million dollars for fortifications, Shmigal also noted.

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