PHOTO The Russian military has begun building “dragon’s teeth,” a World War II tactic

Satellite images show the Russian military has begun building “dragon’s teeth” in the Lugansk region, using a World War II tactic to strengthen its defensive line.

The defensive line consists of two rows of dragon’s teeth, these are followed by trenches probably built to stop combat vehicles, the last line of defense being firing positions for infantry and tanks.

“Dragon’s Teeth” are small reinforced concrete fortifications first built during World War II to counter tanks and mechanized infantry. Their purpose was to slow down combat vehicles and “guide” them to specially prepared areas where they could be easily attacked with anti-tank weapons.

Germany particularly used this tactic at the Siegfried Line in the west of the country, the German equivalent of France’s Maginot Line. The fortifications, however, failed to stop the Allied armies after the landing in Normandy and the offensive in Germany that followed the liberation of France.

The construction of “dragon’s teeth” was largely abandoned after World War II, but Switzerland continues to maintain such fortifications to this day, also known as “Toblerone lines” due to the rows of structures reminiscent of the shape the famous Swiss chocolate bar.

PHOTO: Associated Press / Profimedia Images

The Luhansk region appears to be the only Russian-held region where the Ukrainian armed forces have not launched large-scale attacks in the past month and a half, most likely due to the concentration of forces on other fronts.

But after the catastrophic collapse of the Russian front in Kharkiv, pro-Russian separatists in neighboring Luhansk warned Moscow on September 15 that Ukrainian forces had reached the “borders of the republic” they claimed to have established in eastern Ukraine.

It was formally annexed by Russia two weeks later. The fact that Russian forces are building such fortifications here could signal that they have given up any offensive aspirations in the area and are trying to strengthen their defenses in anticipation of winter.

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