Vikram Mittal reports in Forbes:
Ukraine's defense has evolved into a “resilient defense” built through adaptation. It is designed to hold ground but also shape the battlefield and create favorable conditions for Ukrainian forces. Anchoring the defense is a dense, multi-layered network of engineering obstacles designed to block any Russian advance. These are more extensive, enabled by innovations such as the BTM-3 trench-digging vehicle adapted to lay belts of triple-strand concertina wire that reach 18 rows. It is manned by numerous small, dispersed units in positions designed for survivability. These positions are deliberately low-signature and equipped with protection against drones and precision strikes. The result has become a means of disrupting, disorienting, and inflicting losses on Russian forces. Ukrainian forces increasingly rely on aerial drones and ground robots to construct and extend obstacle belts.
In the early stages of the 2022 invasion, the defensive positions and obstacle belts built by Ukrainian military engineers played a key role in stopping the Russian advance toward Kyiv. Ukrainian engineers continued to improve their defensive network as the war shifted into a war of attrition, with Russian forces using both conventional tactics and new technologies to push their lines forward. These defenses have evolved further in response to the Russian military shifting its approach from one centered on armor and artillery to an increased reliance on drones and dismounted infantry. As a result of these changing battlefield dynamics, Ukraine now fields a complex, deep defensive network that integrates traditional measures with new tactics and technologies.
Ukraine’s Current Defense
In a recent interview at the Combat Engineer and Logistics 2026 forum, Brigadier General Vasyl Syrotenko, Chief of the Engineer Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Support Command, described the current state of Ukraine’s defensive system. He explained that it has evolved from a traditional layered structure into a “resilient defense” built through continuous adaptation. The current scheme is designed not only to hold ground but also to shape the battlefield and create favorable conditions for Ukrainian forces.
Anchoring the defensive system is a dense, multi-layered network of engineering obstacles designed to block any Russian mounted or dismounted advance. These include extensive belts of concertina wire, anti-tank ditches, and “dragon’s teeth” concrete barriers, arranged in depth and often repeated in successive lines. These obstacle belts are more extensive than traditional doctrinal designs, enabled in part by battlefield innovations. For example, Ukraine has adapted the BTM-3 trench-digging vehicle to lay multiple strands of concertina wire at once, allowing units to rapidly emplace dense belts of triple-strand concertina that sometimes reach as many as 18 rows within a single obstacle system. The result is a defensive network that is both deep and highly complex. Rather than serving only to protect Ukrainian units during an assault, Syrotenko emphasized that these obstacles have become a primary means of engagement, disrupting, disorienting, and directly inflicting losses on forces that encounter them.
Syrotenko also stated that a defining feature of this defensive system is the integration of unmanned and remote capabilities into engineering operations. Ukrainian forces increasingly rely on aerial drones and ground robots to construct and extend obstacle belts, particularly through remote mining. This allows engineers to emplace mines both along the forward edge and deep into contested areas without exposing personnel to risk. These efforts are coordinated in real time, enabling commanders to monitor obstacle creation, assess effects, and make dynamic adjustments based on battlefield conditions.
Ukraine has also moved away from the large, fortified strongpoints common in Soviet doctrine. Instead, the defensive network is manned by numerous small, dispersed units in positions designed for survivability. These positions are deliberately low-signature and equipped with protection against drones and precision strikes, including covered, interconnected trenches and reinforced shelters. Some of these shelters are so well fortified that Russian forces have had to use TM-62 anti-tank mines to breach their doors. Additionally, routes to and from these positions are shielded by anti-drone netting, allowing units to be resupplied and rotated safely. In some areas, these protective corridors extend up to 100 km from the frontline.
Russian Assaults Against This Ukrainian Defense
Given their setbacks in Ukraine, it is easy to overlook that Russia still fields one of the largest militaries in the world, with a wide array of advanced weapon systems. Meanwhile, its defense industrial base pioneered many modern military technologies, including drones, electronic warfare, and hypersonic weapons. With this extensive arsenal, Russia is able to employ a multi-pronged approach to try to break through Ukraine’s defensive network.
Before committing ground forces, Russian operations typically begin with air and fires strikes, using a combination of large drones, glide bombs, artillery, and missiles to degrade portions of the defense and create gaps for follow-on forces. Ukrainian defenses integrate air-defense systems and interceptor drones to limit the effectiveness of these strikes. Even so, a number of munitions, particularly glide bombs, still get through.
However, the depth of Ukraine’s defensive system makes it difficult for these strikes to fully penetrate. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders are dispersed in small groups, which reduces their vulnerability. Even after an initial strike, these units often remain intact and able to launch drones or call in artillery against advancing forces attempting to breach the obstacles.
During these barrages, Russian forces push drone operators forward to launch tactical FPV drones in search of Ukrainian soldiers and vehicles. While defensive positions provide physical protection, Ukrainian soldiers are also equipped with counter-drone systems, including jammers and shotguns, reducing the effectiveness of these attacks.
Following the barrage, ground forces commence their assault, attempting to exploit any vulnerabilities created by the strikes. However, they quickly encounter a deep and layered obstacle system designed to slow and channel their movement. Concertina wire impedes dismounted infantry, while dragon’s teeth and anti-tank ditches restrict vehicles. Breaching these obstacles takes time, particularly given their depth and density. This delay allows Ukrainian defenders to detect the effort and respond, typically by directing drones or artillery onto the breach point.
Russian forces often launch multiple assaults simultaneously in an effort to overwhelm the Ukrainian defenses. For these assaults to succeed, they must be synchronized and supported by reliable communications. Ukrainian defenses incorporate electronic warfare systems that disrupt these communications, making coordination more difficult. These systems, similar to counter-drone jammers, are continually upgraded to maintain their effectiveness.
Ukraine’s Evolving Defense
As the war continues, Ukraine’s defense and Russia’s offense will both evolve. Russia will keep fielding new technologies in an effort to gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield, as it has throughout the conflict. Some Russian analysts point to drone swarms as a potential means of breaking through defensive lines, allowing operators in forward positions to coordinate complex strikes. Others highlight the possible use of ground robots to conduct breaching tasks. These technologies are likely to be paired with continued adaptation in tactics, as Russia moves away from Soviet-era approaches that have proven less effective on the modern battlefield.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian engineers are expanding and deepening their defensive network with additional barriers and obstacle belts, further reducing permeability. Syrotenko also indicated that Ukraine is developing unmanned defensive positions capable of providing air defense, maintaining overwatch of obstacles, and delivering direct-fire support without a constant human presence. These systems are expected to be remotely operated at first, with increasing integration of AI to reduce cognitive demands on operators.
Military operations generally favor the defense, especially when it is as well entrenched as Ukraine’s. At the same time, the side that can adapt its tactics and effectively leverage new technologies also gains a distinct advantage on the modern battlefield. At present, Ukraine holds both of these advantages. Russia will continue to adapt in an effort to find and exploit vulnerabilities, while Ukraine will continue to refine its defensive system in response to these changing conditions.
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