Zelensky runs into Wagner's "Dragon's teeth" in his counteroffensive: what are they and why can they stop the Ukrainians?

The Soviets proved to be true masters of entrenchment during World War II.. Russian engineers have created a dense system of fortifications to try to stall the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

What are dragon teeth

Part of that system is based on dragon teeth. These are square pyramidal anti-tank obstacles made of reinforced concrete. Its purpose, as the Russians did in that world war, is to slow down and direct the enemy's tanks towards deadly areas where they can be easily eliminated by anti-tank weapons.

In World War II, land mines were often placed between the prongs and other obstacles were built along the prong lines, such as barbed wire to prevent infantry from passing or diagonally placed steel beams to make it even more difficult. plus the passing of the tanks.

Dragon teeth were used in that conflict by several armies. The Germans used dragon teeth on the Siegfried Line and the Atlantic Wall. In his case, each pyramid was between 90 and 120 cm tall. They were also placed by the United Kingdom between 1940 and 1941, to reinforce its defenses against a hypothetical German invasion.

Since when are they used in the Ukrainian war

It seems like an ancient procedure, which could be easily circumvented by the new technologies of modern weapons, but the dragon's teeth are effective.. Putin's commanders used them as early as October 2022.

In Belgorod Oblast they built defensive lines of dragon teeth along the Russian-Ukrainian border. They were intended as a second line of defense next to the trenches and with a trained militia in case the Ukrainian soldiers broke through the Russian border.. By the way, on that occasion the work was done under the supervision of the Wagner Group.

In fact, this paramilitary group (led until a few weeks ago by Eugeny Prigozhin) tried to build the so-called Wagner Line in Hirske, in the Luhansk province, using dragon's teeth. As of November 2022, the Russians had fortified the region around Melitopol, south of Kherson, in the Mariupol, Nikolske and Staryi Krym area.

The Wagner Defense with Dragon's Teeth

The Wagner Line was intended to be created when it was Russia that was advancing on Ukrainian territory, but now it is facing the kyiv counteroffensive. With the same philosophy, but a different objective (to resist), Moscow decided in April to protect 800 kilometers with a series of fortifications.

They pose a significant tactical challenge to Ukrainian offensive operations.”

Trenches, ditches, bunkers, concrete machine gun towers and dragon's teeth are the tools that putin's forces in motion across a vast terrain so that the response of Volodimir Zelensky's troops with Western support came to nothing.

Dragon's teeth against the kyiv offensive

These engineering feats include concrete-lined trenches, barbed wire, anti-tank ditches, and abundant anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, and “pose a significant tactical challenge to Ukrainian offensive operations,” according to an expert report from the Royal United Services Institute of Greater Britain (RUSI).

Each Russian brigade has two engineer companies; one focuses on the construction of fortifications, while the other places and removes mines, details the RUSI report, based on interviews with Ukrainian commanders.. The total depth of the defensive fortifications exceeds 30 kilometers in some axes.

How are the Russian defensive fortifications

There is a first line of infantry trenches; behind, a second line of trenches and concrete firing points, protected by multiple obstacle belts, each about 800 meters wide. They are made up of barbed wire, dragon's teeth and anti-tank ditches about 6 meters wide and 7 meters deep.

The second line is not permanently manned, but consists of company-sized positions in wooded or elevated areas, positioned so that the defenses are completely covered by fire.. The third line, about 5 kilometers from the initial line, consists of withdrawal positions and hidden areas for reserves.

The problem of Russian mines

And mines, a lot of mines (the Russians have a lot, according to the RUSI). The report gives one example: Russian minefields helped repel a recent attack that destroyed several of the new Leopard 2 tanks and Bradley 2 infantry fighting vehicles, both supplied by the West to Ukraine.

Their removal will be complicated because, the report says, Russian mines “rarely follow a discernible pattern and are rarely marked.” In addition, Russia did not sign the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning antipersonnel mines, which has allowed its forces to “freely use victim-made antipersonnel mines.”

All indications are that the Ukrainians will continue to detonate mines long after Putin's troops have left, defense writer Michael Peck told Business Insider.