The New York Times wrote about the ‘surprisingly weak’ defense of Ukraine to the west of Avdiivka

The New York Times has reported on the “astonishingly weak” defense of Ukraine to the west of Avdiivka. The publication publishes satellite images of Ukrainian fortifications, which it calls “rare” and “elementary.”

“On these trench lines, many additional fortifications are missing that could help slow down Russian tanks and protect main roads,” the article says.

Describing the defensive lines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Avdiivka, the publication writes that these are “elementary earthworks, often with a trench, along which infantry can reach the nearest enemy fire positions, but nothing more.”

American officials fear that now Ukraine “may face the consequences” as Russian forces “slowly but steadily advance beyond Avdiivka.”

“The Ukrainian command had enough time to prepare the defense outside Avdiivka,” the newspaper believes.

New positions are being prepared outside Avdiivka, “but they are not comparable in scale to the Russian fortifications in the south.” The example given is the Russian positions at Verbovoye, which “demonstrate a completely different picture.”

“Verbovoye has a concentric ring of fortifications. It starts with a trench wide enough to lure incoming tanks and armored vehicles into a trap, followed by a network of cement obstacles, known as dragon’s teeth, which are also used to stop vehicles, and finally, an extensive trench for infantry,” the publication reports.

It reminds that the Russians began building defenses half a year before the AFU offensive, while Ukraine only became concerned about these issues three months ago, as it had previously relied solely on offense. Additionally, there is a lack of funds and manpower.

“Delays in fortification construction mean that Ukrainian troops will now have to reinforce their defensive lines while under fire from the Russian army, which significantly complicates the task,” the article concludes.