(Dan Tri) – The new war map shows that Russia appears to be building a dense network of defensive fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia area, southern Ukraine to prevent a counterattack as rumored by Kiev.
War Mapper posted a map image showing Russia establishing trenches and defensive positions along the Zaporizhzhia front (Photo: Twitter).
The maps were posted by Twitter accounts specializing in providing daily topographical updates about the war in Ukraine: War Mapper and More Mapper.
According to sources, Russia is preparing for a scenario where Ukraine conducts a large-scale counterattack to retake areas currently controlled by Moscow, including the Crimean peninsula annexed to Russia in 2014.
`Russian forces in Ukraine have been developing a series of defensive fortifications several kilometers from the current front line,` War Mapper posted on Twitter on April 10, along with a map showing the network of lines.
Meanwhile, More Mapper also posted a revised and updated version of the map with the text: `Based on @bradyafr’s map, I have added/expanded trenches and defensive positions along the front
The map shows the fortifications in and around Melitopol, the defensive lines surrounding the cities of Vasylivka and Tokmak, and stretching past the city of Polohy.
Former US Marine Corps colonel Mark Cancian, Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), predicted that Ukraine could launch a spring counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia.
`Ukraine could launch a counterattack somewhere around the Zaporizhzhia area or to the east, possibly towards Mariupol or the coast,` Mr. Cancian said.
In an assessment report on the conflict in Ukraine on April 12, the British Ministry of Defense said that Russia in recent weeks had `continued to expand its linear defense system in Zaporizhzhia province`.
The British Ministry of Defense also said that Moscow has completed 3 layers of defense zones covering about 120 km of this area.
Also according to this report, Russian forces may have put significant effort into these defensive structures because they believe Ukraine is planning an attack on the city of Melitopol.
`The defensive lines have the potential to become formidable obstacles for the Ukrainian army, but their effectiveness depends almost entirely on whether the Russian army is supported by sufficient human resources and artillery.