It seems odd that a 21st century offensive is stymied by World War One-style trenches.
But it is not surprising.
To beat trenches and minefields, one needs specialized equipment ... enough of it to achieve breakthroughs at selected points.
One also has to have fire superiority so that said equipment is not shot to bits while doing its work.
The Ukrainian army has some engineering equipment, but likely not nearly enough for a challenge of this magnitude.
A NATO force would just airlift 10,000 or so troops over the trenches, outflanking them in 3-D. But Ukraine doesn't have the fire superiority necessary to suppress Russian air defense efforts, and, even if they did, Ukraine can't airlift thousands of men at a time to pull off a 3-D outflanking of the defensive works ... because they don't have enough helicopters.
So, Verdun 1916-style, they have to fight through the trenches on the ground. Just like World War One, it is slow and bloody (for the infantry) work.
What it all points to is the war going into a third year, and the war's outcome may be decided by forces external to the battlefield, such as economics, politics, or diplomacy.
Cheers
But it is not surprising.
To beat trenches and minefields, one needs specialized equipment ... enough of it to achieve breakthroughs at selected points.
One also has to have fire superiority so that said equipment is not shot to bits while doing its work.
The Ukrainian army has some engineering equipment, but likely not nearly enough for a challenge of this magnitude.
A NATO force would just airlift 10,000 or so troops over the trenches, outflanking them in 3-D. But Ukraine doesn't have the fire superiority necessary to suppress Russian air defense efforts, and, even if they did, Ukraine can't airlift thousands of men at a time to pull off a 3-D outflanking of the defensive works ... because they don't have enough helicopters.
So, Verdun 1916-style, they have to fight through the trenches on the ground. Just like World War One, it is slow and bloody (for the infantry) work.
What it all points to is the war going into a third year, and the war's outcome may be decided by forces external to the battlefield, such as economics, politics, or diplomacy.
Cheers
Fire In The Hole