Ukraine’s Battlefield Defense Is Forcing Russia To Adapt Its Tactics

In this photo, taken Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 and provided by Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service, a Ukrainian soldier looks searching for enemy’s drones on his position near the frontline town of Kostyantynivka, the site of heavy battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)

Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized brigade

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, Ukraine has adopted a strategy focused on systematically draining Russian resources and manpower while preserving Ukrainian forces, even if limited territory is conceded. This approach buys time, allowing Ukraine’s strategic strike campaign and international sanctions to increase pressure on Russia to negotiate for peace. Ukraine has largely been successful in executing this strategy, as Russia has made only limited gains despite suffering substantial losses during its current offensive. This has been reflected in recent posts from Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers, which provide insight into the frontline tactics that Ukraine is employing and how Russia is adapting in response.

Ukraine’s Frontline Tactics

In recent months, Russia has surged its troop numbers in an effort to break through Ukraine’s staunch defenses. These defenses consist of layered obstacle belts that include anti-tank ditches, concertina wire, concrete barriers, and minefields, all of which are difficult for Russian forces to breach. Ukraine also relies on extensive “kill zones” anchored by small, squad-sized units in fortified positions. Drones continuously patrol the kill zones, detecting any Russian infiltration and enabling rapid targeting.

According to a Russian military blogger, Russian assaults currently consist of groups of 50 to 60 soldiers. When these assaults are launched against a Ukrainian position, Ukrainian forces withdraw immediately, temporarily ceding the ground. After pulling back, Ukrainian units conduct a series of drone, mortar, and artillery strikes against their former position, inflicting heavy casualties on the Russian forces now occupying it. Eventually, the Russian soldiers are forced to withdraw, and the Ukrainian unit moves back in to retake the ground they had previously vacated.

Before being forced to withdraw, the Russian forces sometimes call in a second wave consisting of drone and counter-drone operators. This follow-on force is intended to help the Russian unit hold the position while also enabling them to target Ukrainian rear areas and weaken the defensive line. However, with constant surveillance of the battlefield, Ukrainian forces are able to identify when these second waves are launched. Ukrainian units then respond with a direct counterattack to push this second wave back. Although this results in Ukrainian casualties, it prevents Russia from securing the position and establishing its own drone operations against Ukrainian defenses.

As part of these kill zones, Ukraine is also targeting Russian resupply networks, according to another Russian military blogger. Common roadways used for resupply are heavily mined, making them extremely hazardous. These mines are augmented by Ukrainian drones concealed along the edges of these roads, waiting for Russian resupply vehicles. When a vehicle passes, the drones take off and strike it, destroying the vehicle. With limited resupply, Russian units are left undersupplied and isolated, reducing their ability to sustain offensive operations or hold newly seized positions.

How Ukraine’s Tactics Are Disrupting Russian Operations

Ukraine’s approach aligns well with its broader strategic objectives. In recent months, the Russian front lines have largely failed to shift forward despite taking significant losses. At the same time, Ukrainian forces are preserving their own resources. By limiting direct engagements to moments of tactical advantage, Ukraine reduces unnecessary personnel losses. Pre-sited defensive positions allow Ukrainian artillery to strike Russian assault units with precision, preserving drone assets for other missions. The result is an efficient application of Ukraine’s limited resources.

More importantly, this tactic is degrading a key Russian resource: soldier morale. Russian troops are placed in a precarious situation as part of a troop surge intended to push forward. Advancing carries a high likelihood of death with little or no tangible gain. At the same time, Russian units struggle to resupply their positions unless they can push Ukrainian drone operators back, something they are unable to do without continuing to advance. This precarious situation is amplified by the fact that many of these soldiers are new recruits mobilized as part of the surge. As morale decreases, Ukraine is taking the opportunity to push the Russian lines back.

According to a Russian military blogger, this erosion of morale is having a significant effect on frontline officers. The post reported that officers are increasingly concerned about losing soldiers, particularly the few with meaningful combat experience, for no territorial gains. As a result, they are sending small teams forward to plant flags, actions that are then recorded by drone footage. Higher-level Russian headquarters interpret this footage as evidence that territory has been captured and therefore do not order further offensives. If true, this practice contributes to headquarters “coloring in the map” with areas that Russian forces do not actually control.

Russia’s Tactical Adaptations to Ukraine’s Defense

Given these challenges and the current stalemate, it is increasingly clear that Russia’s reliance on dismounted assaults will not break through Ukraine’s defenses. As such, Russia is attempting to address these shortcomings through a combination of new technologies and changes in tactics.

In particular, a Ukrainian military blogger reported that Russian forces are increasing their use of ground robots, which are now performing missions previously carried out by soldiers. These robots do not suffer from morale issues and are more durable than human soldiers. They are being used primarily for especially dangerous tasks, such as placing satchel charges on enemy positions, as well as for resupply missions. The expanded use of ground robots, including the Russian Courier unmanned ground vehicle, has been increasingly documented in videos from both Russian and Ukrainian sources.

Another Ukrainian military blogger posted that Russia is starting to move away from platoon- and company-sized assaults in favor of fire-team-level attacks, typically consisting of fewer than five soldiers. Each of these assaults is smaller in scope, but they are conducted in much greater numbers. These small elements are attempting to bypass main Ukrainian defensive positions and conduct attacks in the rear, specifically targeting mortar positions and drone operators. Ukrainian sources report some limited success with these tactics near Zolotyi Kolodiaz in the Donetsk Oblast.

These new tactics and technologies may disrupt Ukrainian defenses and provide Russia with short-term, localized gains. However, Russian ground robots have so far achieved limited success and remain constrained by range and mobility. Likewise, fire-team-level assaults suffer from inherent limitations. Small units lack the ability to concentrate fires, making it difficult to suppress Ukrainian positions or hold ground once contact is made. Their effectiveness is further reduced by the need for well-trained soldiers and reliable communications, neither of which is consistently present within Russian units.

As a result, these strategies are unlikely to produce the desired breakthroughs. Instead, Russia will continue to deplete its manpower and equipment against a resilient Ukrainian defense. Meanwhile, Ukraine will continue to reinforce its defensive positions and adapt its tactics to counter changes in the Russian offensive. In doing so, Ukraine will continue to execute its broader strategy of preserving its forces while forcing Russia to pay a high price for limited gains.