Russia's Reliance on Trenches Leaves Troops Vulnerable

Russian President Vladimir Putin's military forces have been building a network of trenches throughout Ukraine, but these lines may not be completely effective.

"Troops are basically sitting ducks, and the enemy tries to bomb or gas them out," Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), told Newsweek of trench warfare.

In recent months, satellites have captured images of trenches and other obstacles—such as so-called "dragon's teeth" concrete barriers—that Russian troops have been working on in Ukraine. These defensive measures have been put into place while Russia awaits the highly anticipated counteroffensive that is thought to be imminent from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's military.

"The Russians have been able to dig in deep defensive lines," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said of the recent strategy during a May 24 forum, adding that Russian troops have also created "a lot of different and quite advanced minefields" in Ukraine.

While the concept of trench warfare may conjure the image of World War I battlegrounds for many people, retired U.S. Army Major John Spencer told Newsweek that trenches are still "a very effective tactic to hold grounds," even if they aren't used as often as they were a century ago.

"The reason that trenches went away was because of maneuver warfare's ability using the tank, the airplane and the radio together to create breakthroughs," Spencer, who is the chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Madison Policy Forum, said.

The spread of Russian trenches throughout Ukraine while the front lines in the war have remained mostly static is not surprising to McCardle.

"Trench warfare is seen in large geographic areas with large numbers of troops on both sides in times of stalemate. Neither side can advance, and they do not want to retreat. Much like in World War I, unless you have a much superior force, about all you can do is try to bomb the enemy out," he said.

"This [the war in Ukraine] has largely turned into a field artillery war, where trenches are fired on from a distance. World War I redux," McCardle added. "This is a horrible way to fight."

One obvious difference from World War I—or even Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's use of trenches in the first Gulf War—is that militaries now have drones.

Spencer said drones can "complicate trench warfare," but units in trenches can still turn to additional concealment methods like heavy netting to avoid drone detection.

Once trench battalions are located, though, they are vulnerable to enemy fire. Thus, Zelensky's repeated requests for fighter jets from Western allies may give him an incredibly important weapon to hit Putin's trenches.

In the meantime, Ukraine's military has been targeting fuel depots and other supply sites. Spencer called these strikes an "absolutely critical tactic" and said taking out supplies—from ammunition to food and water—will make being stationed in trenches unsustainable for the Russians.

Russia has also reportedly struggled with recruiting new soldiers into its ranks, which Spencer said could be another issue in regard to trench warfare.

"They built some good trench lines, but they don't have the army to man those trenches," he said. "And Ukraine doesn't have to attack 500 kilometers of trench. It has an attack one kilometer of trench at the place of its choosing."