Since October, Russian forces have largely focused on building defensive positions along many frontline areas in Ukraine, but the effectiveness of Russian minefields will be hampered by a lack of surveillance equipment and trained forces, according to the latest intelligence-based summary of the British Ministry of Defence.
The Ministry of Defense of Britain indicates that "since October, Russian forces have focused mainly on the construction of defensive positions in many areas of the front line in Ukraine." And that this includes laying additional fields of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, which "almost certainly goes beyond Russian doctrinal settings."
"Minefields are an effective obstacle for trained troops only if they are covered by surveillance and fire. A serious problem for Russian forces will probably be the lack of surveillance equipment and trained forces to effectively monitor large areas of new minefields," - noted in British intelligence.
On December 23, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in the temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian troops began engineering defensive positions along the Krasnoperekopsk-Dzhankou highway.
