‘Digging, digging, and digging’: Ukraine enters a new phase of war with Russia – WSJ

Ukraine is entering a new phase of the war with Russia, where it needs to “dig, dig and dig”.

This information reported according to the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal.

According to the newspaper, fortifications are being built west of Avdiivka.

“Ukrainians are trying to replicate the physical obstacles Russia created on its side of the front more than a year ago,” the publication writes.

Although Ukraine announced in November the construction of a network of fortifications along the front line, Ukrainian military and Western officials say the “campaign has not yielded significant results.”

After losing Avdiivka, building defenses became even more challenging.

“Soldiers in this area say troops assigned to combat duties are forced to dig trenches, often under fire,” the article says. Civilian workers are not helping with this, military officials add.

Ukraine has few fortified areas left in the Donbas that could rival Avdiivka. After losing the city, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have to fight against advancing forces while simultaneously trying to build fortifications.

“These are the types of operations that well-established armed forces often conduct, and Ukrainian forces don’t always handle them, especially since many of the country’s most prepared servicemen have been killed or wounded in the last two years,” the article says.