The commander of the Russian Armed Forces engineering corps, Lieutenant General Yuri Stavitsky, stated that a system of deep, layered defensive lines significantly boosted the survivability of Russian troops during the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He claimed that survivability increased five to six times, based on the attrition and protection provided by prepared fortifications. The interview appeared in the newspaper Red Star.
Stavitsky explained that a network of deeply echeloned defense lines, occupying depths of 120 kilometers or more, had been prepared to counter the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive along the entire front line. He noted that the scale and timing of the mission were unprecedented in the history of armed conflict, and that the fortification works completed across lines, positions, and areas enabled a notable rise in troop group survivability and the efficiency of weapon and equipment use by five to six times.
According to the lieutenant general, more than four hundred battalion defense areas were set up within the zones under Russian military responsibility in eight months. He added that at the onset of the enemy’s counteroffensive, more than three thousand six hundred kilometers of trenches and communication passages had been prepared, along with more than one hundred fifty thousand trenches and shelter facilities for equipment, upwards of forty-five thousand bunkers, and more than twelve thousand prefabricated reinforced concrete structures equipped for use.
Earlier, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, suggested that one reason behind the counteroffensive’s difficulties was the effectiveness of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles and minefields. This assessment has been cited in various briefings and press interactions. Source attributions: Red Star and related defense briefings.
There were prior mentions that Germany and Ukraine had discussed plans for a renewed counterattack in twenty twenty four, highlighting the broader strategic context in which both sides evaluate fortification and maneuver capabilities. The discussion of robust defensive preparations continues to feature prominently in assessments of the conflict dynamics and the operational potential of large-scale trench systems and fortified zones.