@solonko1648, who's a serving Ukrainian soldier, has published an excellent pair of threads in Ukrainian describing how the Russian system of trenches and firing positions works. It's a very helpful insight into why they have been so difficult to overcome.
He focuses on a Russian fortified stronghold between the villages of Robotyne and Novoprokopivka, through which the road from one village to the other runs. Tokmak lies further along the same road, which is currently contested. The following thread translates his description:
By @solonko1648:
This, dear friends, is one of the most difficult strongholds located in the Robotyne-Novoprokopivka area. A complex system of trenches-tunnels, dugouts, firing positions, to which the Russian invaders cling with all their might... 🧵 /1
What we see first. A system of trenches and firing positions. From observation and tracking of the movements of the occupiers' equipment and personnel, we confirm movement and approach routes to the position. /2
In general, these routes should be obvious, but of course, all the data should be studied and the information verified. That's why this is a formal process. Next, we see from above how these positions are equipped. We see the overlapping of dugouts. /3
But that's not all. Some of the trenches are covered over for a long distance. They may not be tunnels in the classical sense, but technically they are. This is actually a trench-tunnel, designed to hide the number of personnel and their movements in the trenches. /4
With the help of aerial reconnaissance, we determine not only which route the occupiers take to enter/leave. We also identify the entrances/exits of this stronghold/trench system. /5
A little more about the "tunnels". According to the soldiers of the frontline units, there is a classic tunnel here. It's under the road that leads from Robotyne to Novoprokopivka. It connects both flanks of this system. /6
Moreover, we also know that dugouts have been dug here, which actually have a second underground floor, going deep into the ground. While we were waiting for the shells, the occupiers were digging. And they dug long and deep. /7
After fierce fighting and artillery shelling, our artillery "opened" the dugouts and covered trenches. After that, it became clearer how much more difficult the task was. 8/
Furthermore, in the area where the main entrance to these positions is located from the west, it is only after a dense artillery barrage that the untrained eye will become aware of how well some of the trench-tunnels on this side were camouflaged. /9
The occupiers successfully used the forest belt to prepare and camouflage these positions. Such positions require us to conduct very thorough and vigilant reconnaissance. The occupiers know what we are interested in and try prevent us from conducting it properly. /10
You can watch the process in this video. /11
Now I will talk about the eastern part of the fortification. /12
It is not so much a separate fortified point as part of an extensive system, overcoming which was an extremely difficult task, taking into account the features of the hostilities, the terrain and the ratio of forces and means that I talked about. /13
The two main parts of the fortifications are connected by an underground tunnel that runs under the road. This way, the road is controlled and still used for its intended purpose. /14
Note the shape of the trench in front of the forest plantation (except for the area near the road). We have already seen a similar structure on the defence line that stretched northwest of Verbove. /15
Also note another example of the use of terrain. The system of fortifications uses the plantation to cover the entrance and exit. There are also fortifications in the rear. A circular defence pattern is observed. /16
Here, too, the artillery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces performed the task of "opening" the trenches built in the style of tunnels. A similar picture could be seen in the western part of these fortifications on the other side of the road, which I analysed earlier. /17
Also note the layout of the trenches closer to the road. Imagine what it would be like to storm/clear them. Another sceptical remark to the adherents of "elastic defence". No one was going to leave here even to return. They clung to this stronghold with all their might. /18
And then there's the wormhole. Another reminder that some people like to call the Russian invaders worms. /19
1/ Large numbers of elderly Russian men are being attracted by fat recruitment bonuses to join the war in Ukraine for the financial benefit of their families. "I've lived my life, we'll get an apartment for my son now, so what if I get killed?", asks one. ⬇️
2/ The independent Russian media outlet Verstka reports that men over 50 from all over Russia are travelling to Moscow to join the army there, enticed by what have until recently been the highest military recruitment salaries in Russia.
3/ Ukraine's incursion in the Kursk region in August 2024 galvanised enlistment, according to staff at one Moscow recruitment office. They say that lines began forming at the office after the incursion, with 500 people a day queuing to sign up.
1/ In a sign of further financial trouble for the Russian government, which is facing increasing problems due to the economic strain of the war in Ukraine, public servants are said to have been unexpectedly told that they must pay all taxes six weeks ahead of schedule. ⬇️
2/ The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reports:
"Despite the legal deadline for paying property taxes for individuals being 1 December 2025, Federal Tax Service employees at all levels are being quietly, but by order,…
3/ …forced to pay received tax demands by the end of this week and to provide scanned payment documents and tax calculations to their immediate supervisors for compliance monitoring. Moreover, there is no official explanation for this.
1/ The recent destruction of a Russian column at Volodymyrivka has prompted strong reactions from Russian warbloggers. Some claim the attack to have been successful, despite the losses; others castigate commanders for sacrificing lives and vehicles. ⬇️
2/ 'Military Informant' is in the first camp, commenting:
"While during the summer months, the vector of combat operations along the entire front had shifted toward small infantry groups of several men, transported to the front lines by light wheeled vehicles, in this case,…
3/ …for the first time in a long time, we are witnessing the mass use of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers. Clearly, the accumulated reserves were deployed to expand the existing breakthrough zone, simplify its logistics,…
1/ A Russian soldier has recorded a video in advance of his own anticipated murder, speaking about how his commander has executed and buried other members of his unit, as well as hoarding aid meant for the soldiers. The speaker has since disappeared and is now likely dead too. ⬇️
2/ Pre-murder videos are a distinct genre of selfie videos made by Russian soldiers (see below for a couple more examples). They explain calmly why they are about to be killed – generally because they have complained about corrupt officers or disobeyed orders.
1/ Russian troops on the Dnipro delta islands are dying of starvation, according to Russian warbloggers. They say that swarms of Ukrainian drones have caused extreme logistical difficulties, leading to soldiers being cut off for months.
2/ The marshy islands of the lower Dnipro below Kherson city have been contested by both sides since 2022. Neither side controls them, but recently leaked casualty figures show that over 5,100 Russians have been killed in the region since 1 January 2025.
3/ Two Russian warbloggers highlight what has been going on there. 'Callsign OSETIN' writes:
"Fighting continues on the islands in the Kherson direction (slightly less frequently, but it's still happening). Few people write about it, but our men on the islands are true heroes.
1/ A Russian submarine stricken with a serious fuel leak has surfaced off Brittany and is being tracked by the French Navy. Meanwhile, leaked documents describe how a Russian missile corvette collided with a civilian tanker on 7 August 2025. ⬇️
2/ The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reports that the Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine Novorossiysk (B-261) has surfaced off the coast of Brittany. It is being monitored by a French Navy frigate, according to NATO's Maritime Command.
3/ VChK-OGPU reports that the submarine's fuel system is damaged and is leaking directly into the hull:
"There are no repair parts or qualified specialists on board, and the crew is unable to fix the malfunction. The serious accident has led to other problems."