Since 2014, 2022 and more recently winter 2023, Ukraine has been building a huge defensive system. The multilayered “Donbass Line” composed of many trench network is quite similar to Russian Surovikin system.
🧵THREAD on Ukrainian in depth defenses⬇️
1/25
When we talk of defensive trench network, the huge Surovikin line is the first thing we think about: trenches, bunkers, mines, dragon teeths…
This particular system, sometimes compared to the Maginot line was one of the assets that stopped Ukrainian summer counteroffensive.
2/
Since it is already mapped by many, it is not useful to talk about it.
However, I’ve also mapped pre-2022 Russian defenses. It is interesting to see that these particular trenches system can still be used in case of a Ukrainian breakthrough.
3/
Let’s talk about Ukrainian defensive lines I called “Donbass line”.
Donbass line is quite different and more complex than Russian Surovikin system: it is composed of highly defended fortified system, separated by fields.
Zoom in⬇️ 4/
If we take the example of Ukrainsk-Muraka line (facing south near Kourakhove), we can see on this Sentinel-2 imagery that each system is separated by a kilometer at least.
Each fort can defend itself from every direction: you have to take all of them to advance.
5/
Contrary to Russian line, Ukrainian one is composed of many forts that are defending each other.
The 2014-15 Popasna-Luhanske line is a good example: to breakthrough, you have to assure that no other fort has fire control on you. (This particular line was however abandoned)
6/
The line 0:
This was the 2014-2022 line, it was composed of 2 systems near Marioupol (overrun in a few days because of the lack of personal), 2 lines near Popasna (Ukr retreated to the city) and one line between Marinka and Horlivka, with some part still standing.
7/
The really first line built from February to June 2022, preparing the retreat of Sievierodonetsk was built from southern Bakhmout to Siversk, passing through Soledar
This defensive system had 2 lines, both were overrun in Bakhmout and Soledar but are still standing in Siversk. 8/
At the same time, Ukrainians built lines 1, 2 and 3 in northern Donbass. Today, they are still building these lines.
Line one: Siverski-Donets river/Tchasiv Yar/Toretsk. 9/
Line two and three are the defenses of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk: 2 lines are protecting Sloviansk from the North, an anti tank ditcj and 1 line protecting the twin cities from the west.
+ 2 lines protecting Kostiantinivka/Droujkivka.
10/
Now, as some may ask themselves, the defenses after Avdiivka are already prepared but non-sufficient: main line is 17km from the city.
This line is however behind a river and lakes, making it a natural barrier.
11/
The final objective of the Russian offensive may be to reach Pokrovsk, the last big city and industrial center of Ukrainian Donbass (with Kramatorsk).
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have built a two layered trench system all around the city. 13/
Support lines:
Donbass is a thing, but there are 3 other fronts: Kherson, South (Zaporijia) and Louhansk/Kharkiv.
Apart from Mykolaiv defense network and old Russian Kherson defenses, I haven’t found any Ukrainian line in the oblast. 14/
In Zaporijia oblast, there are at least 2 main defensive lines, plus a line defending the city itself. In Louhansk frontline, we have the Lyman-Borova line quite impressive. There is also a line near Izioum.
15/
Currently, I’m investigating Ukrainian defenses on Russian border: the Koupiansk-Vovtchansk line, the Kharkiv defenses and border defenses in Sumy and Tchernihiv oblast.
For now I havn’t find many things, suggesting it is just the beginning.
16/
How does those systems look like? This image is a high resolution one (from google earth pro): you can see part of the western Sloviansk defense.
A Ukrainian trench is never linear, and it is not always linked to avoid loosing a whole line if one part has fallen.
17/
Ukrainians made fun of Russian anti-tank ditches and dragon teeths, but they are now using it. You can also see this new basement to protect soldiers from artillery and FPV shells.
18/
To geolocalise these trench network, I used 4 elements:
-Google earth updates (from June to august 2022)
-Sentinel-2 imageries, most of them until may-july 2022 (since it is the best time to see trenches)
-Geolocated Videos showing trenches (Kreminna forest)
-Esri Imageries
19/
Since some may ask, this work is not helping Russia. Why?
-We mapped Russian positions and defenses before
-Russia has satellites, and IA that can detect these lines
-For most of it, it is now nearly 6-month-old
-The map is indicative and non-exhaustive
20/
I’ve been mapping Ukrainian and Russian defensive lines since nearly 2 years, this is the first part of my final project, it will be updated and improved many times in a row.
Here is the link to have it on your computer. Please credit me when using it!
21/google.com/maps/d/edit?mi…
Keep in mind that when I’m using Sentinel-2, I can’t be precise, and there may be errors since it is sometime really difficult to know if there is a trench or not.
I will improve the map with updates of Maxar imageries in Google Earth.
22/
Here you can find the link for my interpretation of the lines. Since it is not a continuous defensive system, it is only an interpretation of hundreds of trenches. As tweet #21, you can download both trenches and defensive lines.
23/google.com/maps/d/edit?mi…
Since some people have already asked me, if you want to buy me a coffee for my volunteer work (tens of hours of work in my free time), you can here:
Thank you
24/buymeacoffee.com/clement.molin
This is the end of the thread
If you like it, you can repost the first tweet. Make sure to follow both my account @clement_molin and my think tank @atummundi
I will do a French version soon.
25/25
@escortert @Pouletvolant3 @frog_of_war @wolski_jaros @guillaume_ancel @Michel_Goya @ObsDelphi @CartesDuMonde @AudrandS @Black_BirdGroup @emilkastehelmi @GeoConfirmed @UAControlMap @Stevius21 @Danspiun @Tatarigami_UA @NOELreports @IntelCrab @egea_blog (some that may be interested)
Comment les interventions militaires des Émirats Arabes Unis 🇦🇪 au #Yémen 🇾🇪, en #Libye 🇱🇾 et au #Soudan 🇸🇩 ont semé le chaos, divisé ces pays… et abouti à des échecs cuisants.
Quand les Emirats créent artificiellement de nouveaux Etats - Récit.
🧵THREAD🧵1/15⬇️
Depuis les années 2010, les Émirats se sont posés en acteur militaire majeur du monde arabe. Officiellement : lutter contre l’islamisme et le terrorisme. Officieusement : imposer leur vision autoritaire de l’ordre régional, notamment en opposition à l'Iran et la Turquie.
Dans chaque pays ciblé – Yémen, Libye, Soudan – les Émirats ont soutenu des milices, des chefs de guerre ou des généraux, souvent au mépris de l’unité nationale ou de la paix.
La grande ligne de défense européenne 🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹🇵🇱🇺🇦
Aux frontières russes 🇷🇺 et biélorusses 🇧🇾, plusieurs pays européens s'activent à créer des fortifications.
Mais celles-ci sont-elles véritablement utiles ? Avons nous des images satellites de ces défenses ?
🧵THREAD🧵1/20 ⬇️
Les officiels européens défilent sur une minuscule portion du nouveau système de défense polonais à la frontière de l'oblast russe de Kaliningrad.
Pourtant côté ukrainien, ces défenses peuvent faire rire.
De la Finlande (et même dans une moindre mesure la Norvège), jusqu'à la Pologne, le flanc oriental de l'OTAN et de l'Union Européenne se prépare à une éventuelle invasion russe.
Tous ont décidé la construction de fortifications défensives.
12 soldats pour 5km, incapable de tenir les rivières et lignes de défense, une défense aérienne à l'agonie, l'armée ukrainienne 🇺🇦 serait-elle au bord de la rupture ?
Dernièrement, l'armée ukrainienne subit des revers important, sur le front et à l'arrière.
🧵THREAD🧵1/14 ⬇️
"Sur un tronçon de plus de 5 km, on compte 10, voire 12 combattants. La défense est assurée par des chauffeurs, des artilleurs et des cuisiniers. Mais eux aussi sont « finis ». 25 % du personnel des bataillons est resté"
La pénurie d'hommes devient problématique pour l'armée ukrainienne.
Sur le papier, de nouveaux corps d'armée ont été créés pour regrouper les unités entre-elles, en théorie, 50 000 hommes. En pratique ? Personne ne sait, peut-être seulement la moitié.
En #Somalie 🇸🇴, une guerre civile oubliée continue, entre le groupe terroriste Al Shabab 🏴, l'armée Somalienne et plusieurs régions séparatistes, Somaliland, Puntland et Jubaland.
Plusieurs puissances extérieures sont impliquées dans une guerre sans fin 🇺🇸🇹🇷🇦🇪
🧵THREAD🧵1/16⬇️
En mars 1978, la défaite somalienne lors de la guerre de l'Ogaden contre l'Ethiopie (tentative d'annexer la région ethiopienne de Somali à l'est du pays) fait baisser la popularité du président Barre, un coup d'Etat échoue.
-> Une guerre civile entre rebelles et gouvernement
Durant cette violente guerre civile, les rebelles progressèrent vers une unification, jusqu'à contrôler la majorité du pays, alors même que la région du Somaliland déclarait son indépendance après une sanglante guerre civile de 1981 à 1991.
As we we enter the second part of the 4th year of full scale war in Ukraine, let's analyse what happened for the last 6 months, from the end of Kursk to the progress in Donbass region.
What will happen until 2026 ?
🧵THREAD🧵1/25 ⬇️
As in 2024, Russian summer offensive is gaining momentum.
1,832 km2 were captured, the majority of which was in the south of Donetsk Oblast.
These figures do not include the more than 400 km2 of Russian territory liberated in Kursk by March 2025.
Diplomatic effort :
The arrival of Donald Trump in office in late january did not change anything to the war situation.
Putin is still not willing to negociate a peaceful end of the war and the American and European pressure did not change anything.