In Ukraine… A New Enemy Emerges, and Russia Bets on “Trench Warfare”

13th October 2024

3 minutes read

In Ukraine... A New Enemy Emerges, and Russia Bets on "Trench Warfare"

As the first signs of autumn begin to show, the Russian army has intensified its attacks in Ukraine, hoping that this strategy will lead to tactical advantages before the muddy terrain impedes the movement of its forces.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia is conducting operations at a high pace, particularly around Kharkiv and Pokrovsk, aiming to achieve significant progress before the autumn rains and winter snow limit the maneuverability of its tanks and armored vehicles.

The American website “The National Interest” reports that Russia relies on mass infantry assaults, forcing some units to use transportation methods such as civilian vehicles and even golf carts.

This strategy harks back to the trench warfare of World War I, highlighting the challenges in adopting modern maneuver warfare tactics.

Russia’s New Enemy in Ukraine

The Russian army is making great efforts to achieve additional tactical successes before weather conditions limit the ability of armored vehicles and tanks to carry out their missions.

Although the Russian army is not known for its maneuver warfare capabilities, it is trying to capitalize on its superiority in vehicles and equipment in parts of the front line to gain more ground before the upcoming rains and snow turn the battlefield into a quagmire.

The Russian military leadership seeks to achieve tactical results through mechanized assaults before weather conditions make the ground difficult to traverse.

According to the recent estimates of the Institute for the Study of War, it is likely that the Russian military leadership has ordered Russian forces to conduct a relatively high pace of mechanized attacks in Ukraine to achieve significant tactical advances before the muddy conditions of autumn 2024 limit Russian maneuvers.

Ukrainian defense officials confirm that Russian forces are increasingly using mechanized units on the battlefield, particularly toward Kharkiv and Pokrovsk.

Each fall, rain and bad weather turn roads and dry fields into muddy disasters, according to the Institute for the Study of War, which adds: “It is likely that the adverse weather conditions in the fall of 2024 and early winter 2024-2025 will complicate and limit mechanized and infantry maneuvers, but Russian forces may seek to maintain their continued offensive pressure in eastern Ukraine despite these difficulties.”

Ukrainian Capabilities

According to “The National Interest,” the Ukrainian army enjoys “strong anti-tank and anti-armor capabilities, with an abundance of individual weapons systems, which have cost Russia tens of thousands of heavy weapons systems, including main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers.”

It was also noted that, in an attempt to reduce its losses, Russia has at times resorted to using golf carts to approach Ukrainian defensive positions.

The Institute for the Study of War states that “autumn weather conditions are also likely to limit Russian infantry maneuvers, and it is likely that the Russian military leadership hopes that the advances its forces can achieve now will reduce the number of open fields Russian infantry will have to cross after weather conditions deteriorate.”

In an attempt to overcome these difficulties, Russia has intensified its attacks using a mix of main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, integrating these weapons systems and their capabilities to maximize battlefield opportunities and achieve better results.