Satellite images reveal Russia’s defensive wall
RUSSIAN army defences against the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive have been exposed in a series of aerial photos.
The images reveal how the Russians have carved up their Ukrainian countryside with fortifications designed to hold up tank movements.
In the last few months, Vladimir Putin’s forces have dug hundreds of miles of trenches and laid lines of concrete pyramids dubbed “dragons’ teeth” – a type of anti-tank defence used in the Second World War.
Concealed
Experts from BBC Verify – the broadcaster’s fact-checking arm – highlighted the structures after examining hundreds of satellite photos of four key locations.
In the beach area of Crimea, sun loungers and parasols have been replaced by bunkers, dragons’ teeth and trenches.
Stacks of wood and diggers are also clearly visible as Russian fighters prepare for a possible assault from the Black Sea.
Near the city of Tokmak, where an attack is more likely, they have dug first and second defensive trench lines, guarding against a push from the north. A protective ring has also been set up around the city itself, consisting of an outer and inner trench about 8ft deep, with a row of dragons’ teeth in-between.
Experts believe Kremlin troops are also likely to have laid mines between the lines as an extra layer of security.
Mark Cancian, of Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said: “Minefields are a standard part of every defence and the Russians have used them extensively.
“Here, they will be large and better concealed, slowing down Ukrainian attacks so that other combat elements, like artillery and infantry, can strike the attacking forces.”
Along the E105 – a strategically important main road connecting the cities of Melitopol and Kharkiv – lie a number of anti-tank ditches, with Russian heavy artillery lurking nearby.
And near Mariupol, the key port taken by the Russians last year after a bloody three-month siege, artillery firing positions can be seen protected by circular trenches and mounds of soil.