Ukraine's Armed Forces begin to de-mine territory for upcoming counteroffensive – The Washington Post

Ukrainian bomb disposal experts have begun to clear the front-line territory before a possible counteroffensive; these operations have been going on for several weeks, writes The Washington Post with reference to the Ukrainian military.

Source: The Washington Post

Quote: "Like Russia, Ukraine has laid thousands of mines along its front line. And to advance into occupied territory, its troops now need to get through these lines without tipping off the Russians, who would notice if heavy machinery were brought in or explosions were set off. This means sappers must go out to the fields and quietly remove the mines. They do it by hand. At night."

Details: The commander of engineers of the 1st Tank Brigade with the call sign Klimat ("Climate") said this kind of mine-clearing work has been going on for weeks, but he declined to describe precise locations or methods used to deactivate the mines.

According to him, once a path has been cleared, signs are set up – sometimes lighted, with the beams facing away from Russian positions.

Also, Ukrainian bomb disposal experts use specially modified vehicles based on the famous German Leopard 2 battle tank and Soviet-designed vehicles, the Meteorit UR-77.

Western nations have also sent some modern engineering tanks, including Leopard 2R mine-clearing tanks supplied by Finland, that can plough through minefields.

According to Serhii Matveichuk, a colonel in Ukraine’s Directorate of Engineer Troops, the best option for mine clearance could be a M1150 assault vehicle based on the M1 Abrams, but Ukraine did not receive such equipment. He noted that in general, the Ukrainian army lacks engineering tanks and other similar tools.

According to Ukrainian soldiers, Russia lays its mines in a pattern: one line of anti tank mines, a line of antipersonnel lines alongside booby traps, and then another line of anti tank mines. 

Drones can be used to spot the anti tank mines, soldiers say, but antipersonnel mines are harder to find.

Matveichuk also said that Russia has created a "massive system of engineering barriers" that pose a "serious obstacle to the mobility of troops".

The Washington Post notes that the Ukrainians will have to break through these fortifications in order to regain territory and oust the Russians. And this, in turn, requires special training and equipment, as well as careful reconnaissance to find the weaknesses of the invaders.

In addition, it is noted that the offensive will be harder than the liberation of Ukrainian territories last fall, because the Russians are learning from their mistakes and are also better prepared.

The WP emphasises that all this is likely the reason why the long-awaited counteroffensive has not yet begun.

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