Russia built fake trenches along the front lines to lure Ukrainian soldiers into deadly explosive traps, researchers found

• Russia has created layers of formidable defenses and fortifications to hold off Ukrainian advances.
• Among them are fake trenches designed to lure Ukrainians into a death trap, researchers learned on a recent Ukraine trip.
• These obstacles are among the many challenges standing in the way of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Ukrainian forces know how to clear a trench. In fact, we've seen them do it flawlessly. But what happens when a trench isn't a trench?

Russian forces built a vast, complex network of trenches and other battlefield obstacles, such as anti-tank barriers and minefields, ahead of Ukraine's counteroffensive.