In recent weeks, videos from the frontlines shared on Ukrainian social media have depicted similar scenes. Filmed from the sky by reconnaissance drones, sections of Ukrainian soldiers on foot approach the trenches held by the Russians in the south of the country, along the line from Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk, where the most violent clashes are currently taking place. The exchange of gunfire is intense, and the fighting is almost hand-to-hand. There is no sign of aerial support or armored vehicles. Methodically, the Kyiv soldiers are clearing the enemy fortifications, trench by trench, bunker by bunker, while trying to minimize their losses.

While modern warfare has been characterized for several decades by long-range combat using aerial and armored resources, the counter-offensive launched by Kyiv in early June stands out for its emphasis on infantry, which has become the essential factor in advancing their forces. "The Ukrainians are rediscovering trench warfare and adopting tactics reminiscent of the German Sturmtruppen," (shock units created during World War I to assault Allied lines) explained Thibault Fouillet, the scientific director of the Institute for Strategy and Defense Studies at Lyon-III University.

Last spring, Western military experts were, however, betting on armored attacks to break through Russian fortifications. This tactic was recommended by NATO manuals and has proven effective in recent conflicts, including the 2003 Iraq War. Even the Ukrainians themselves seemed to suggest this approach by requesting armored vehicles from their allies. Their plea was somewhat successful, as several dozen German Leopard and British Challenger tanks have since been delivered to Ukrainian forces. On Monday, September 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the arrival of the first American Abrams tanks, with Washington promising a total of 31 units.

But the use of armored vehicles to attack the fortified Russian defense system in the southern and eastern regions of the country quickly proved ineffective. This area is known as the Surovikin Line, named after the commander-in-chief of Russian forces in Ukraine from October 2022 to January 2023. Images posted online as early as mid-June showed Ukrainian tanks destroyed or immobilized by mines or artillery fire in the Zaporizhzhia region. "The Ukrainians arrived in columns at defended positions, without artillery preparation or smoke screens to conceal their advance. It couldn’t work," said a French military source. According to a Western estimate, the first units sent to "breach" the Russian trenches suffered up to 20% casualties.

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