Lieutenant General Yuri Stavitsky, Chief of the Engineering Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, has stated that the defensive system has significantly enhanced the resilience of Russian troops during the Ukrainian counteroffensive. In an interview with the newspaper “Krasnaya Zvezda,” he made this statement.
According to the military official, a deeply layered system of defensive lines, positions, and areas, extending up to 120 km or more, was prepared along the entire line of contact before the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He noted that considering the scale and timeframe of the tasks, this is an unprecedented case in the history of wars and armed conflicts.
“The fortification of the defensive lines, positions, and areas, carried out in full, has increased the resilience of troop formations and the effectiveness of weapons and military equipment by five to six times,” emphasized Stavitsky.
As Lieutenant General Stavitsky revealed, over eight months, more than 400 battalion defense areas were prepared within the responsibility zones of Russian troop formations. He pointed out that before the enemy’s counteroffensive, over 3,600 km of trenches and communication tunnels were dug, along with more than 150,000 bunkers and shelters for vehicles. Additionally, over 45,000 armored shelters and more than 12,000 prefabricated reinforced concrete structures were equipped.
Previously, Kirill Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, highlighted that Russian drones and minefields were among the reasons for the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Earlier, Germany announced that Ukraine plans to launch a new counteroffensive in 2024.
