WP: Ukraine changes counteroffensive tactic to clear Russian minefields

Ukraine’s Armed Forces are employing a new counteroffensive tactic in order to get through the densely mined areas of the Zaporizhzhia region, the Washington Post writes.

“Rather than try to break through with the infantry fighting vehicles and battle tanks that Western allies provided to aid Ukraine in this counteroffensive, units are moving forward, slowly, on foot,” WP reports citing Ukrainian military personnel.

The shift in tactic comes due to the lengthy buildup to the counteroffensive, which gave Russians time to prepare, mining areas “between 3 and 10 miles deep in front of the Russians’ main strongholds” with antitank and antipersonnel mines.

“Small groups of sappers on the front lines are crawling across minefields — sometimes literally on their stomachs — to detonate Russia’s defences and clear a path for troops to advance,” WP explains.

The article also notes that the issues with the minefields have exposed vulnerabilities of the Ukrainian army’s personnel carriers and tanks — “especially the newly arrived American Bradley fighting vehicles and German Leopard tanks”. Nonetheless, Ukrainian soldiers have praised the West’s vehicles because even when they do hit a mine, most people inside survive with just minor injuries.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that Ukraine lost up to 20% percent of its weapons and armour in the first two weeks of the counteroffensive, leading to a change of tactic, which promptly halved such losses to 10%.