How Putin faces Ukraine’s ‘killing zones’ bristling with Western tanks & weapons

WITH the city of Pokrovsk falling into Vladimir Putin’s hands, Ukraine is toughening its next line of defence to show the Russian tyrant has won the battle – but not the war.

In the latest episode of Battle Plans Exposed, intelligence officer Philip Ingram MBE reveals the looming carnage Russian forces now face – and how Kyiv will bolster the defence of its next frontline town.

After months of tirelessly protecting the city of Pokrovsk, it looks all but certain that Russian forces are in control of the key transport hub.

But Ingram says Kyiv will undoubtedly design their next line of defence to effectively gather Russian forces into “killing zones”.

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Watch the latest episode of Battle Plans Exposed here…

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These specific areas are bound to be armed to the teeth with British and American tanks and drones.

He explains: “The Ukrainians are using a lot of the Western equipment that we have to good effect.

“And this is done by overwatch from the likes of the British Challenger 2 tank, by interdiction by the likes of the US-supplied Bradley Infantry Fighting vehicle.”

Hardened Ukrainian units will also be aided by FPV drones, mortars, artillery and the troops in trenches, Ingram reveals.

This will make Russia‘s next assault yet another bloody meatgrinder, where mad Vlad is bound to take countless casualties.

Former Nato planner Ingram cast doubt over the idea that losing the town – dubbed the “gateway to the Donbas” – is a fatal loss for Ukraine.

He says: “Will the Ukrainians be ready for the next battle? I think they understand the Russians.

“They’ve shown that for the last four years, they have stopped the Russians from advancing as quickly as they did against Nazi Germany during the Second World War.”

The ex-intelligence officer also identifies what he believes the next line of defence might be – the city of Dobropillia.

He says: “It could become the next point where the Russians become fixed, the next Mariupol, the next Bakhmut, the next Pokrovsk.

“And if it holds the Russians up for another 12 months, another 18 months, another two years, then that is the Ukrainians having success in their defensive operations.”

But which ever town Putin is next to targetIngram says Ukraine has already planned a sturdy defence for the rest of the Donbas.

“Ukraine will be preparing and has prepared defensive lines the whole way through the rest of the areas of the Donbas that Russia has not captured,” he adds.

“We know those defensive lines will be built in a way to concentrate the Russian forces, but to allow Ukrainians to concentrate their defence.

“We know they will consist of anti-tank ditches, of minefields, of anti-tank traps, the dragon’s teeth, as we see, of things that will slow the infantry down, barbed wire, anti-personnel mines.”

Summarising the current situation on Ukraine’s frontline against Russia, he adds: “They’re holding them there, fixing them in place.”

Ingram also notes that Russia has become fixated with capturing certain towns – often at the cost of huge casualties.

“The next Ukrainian defensive battle is likely to be around another town,” he says.

“And we can see that Ukraine is using the time that they’re given by holding the Russians.”

Ingram also reveals how Russia’s current war machine is holding out on its last legs.

“If you’re relying on North Korea to supply 70 per cent of your ammunition, you’re not doing something right, and that does not bode well,” he says.

“And of course, the pressures on the Russian economy are such that they’re only going to get worse and worse.”

The expert also details what Ukraine might do as it plans its next moves of defence.

“Whilst Russia is being bled dry, Ukraine is continuing to withdraw very slowly in the front lines,” Ingram says.

“It’s fixing the Russians psychologically, it’s fixing them militarily.”

He adds: “Ukraine is using that time to try and have a further effect on Russia.

“It’s banking that something inside Russia will break, and therefore it’s attacking Russia’s ability to continue to support the tactical operations in the front line.”

Ingram told how Kyiv is “attacking the logistic infrastructure that’s needed to get that material to the front line,” in order to cripple Putin’s forces.

In the rest of the latest edition of Battle Plans Exposed, Ingram also takes a deep dive into some of Putin’s latest frontline activities.

He exposes how Russian forces were able to swarm the city of Pokrovsk after 18 months of brutal fighting.

Picking apart the role of fog in aiding Russian forces swarm defensive positions, he analyses footage of Putin’s men using the mist to their advantage.

Ingram also deconstructs Putin’s mind when it comes to Pokrovsk, which Russia sees as a “pressure valve” rather than a city with strategic importance.

“For the Ukrainians, it’s a choke point, for the Russians, it’s a political need,” he says.

“Ukraine is exploiting this need from Putin.”

He says that Pokrovsk has taken on an “emotional value” to the Russians, rather than a strategic one.

Ingram compares the situation of Russia taking heavy losses in Pokrovsk to other key battles throughout the invasion.

“First of all, we had Mariupol, Then we had Bakhmut… the Russians throwing everything at trying to push the Ukrainians out of Bakhmut,” he says.

“And then when Bakhmut fell, it then moved to Pokrovsk – Russia doesn’t seem to learn.”

Ingram adds: “Ukraine clearly understands Russia’s psychological weakness, that is its fixation at all costs and at huge costs for towns and cities.

“Once Ukraine feels that they’ll be overwhelmed, as the edges of the cauldron close in and it becomes impossible for them to supply the troops, logistically, they will withdraw.”

But crucially, withdrawing “does not necessarily mean a defeat”.

Ingram describes this process of leaving the defensive lines as “a deliberate military operation”.

But he says that Russia will define it as a defeat so they can feed this win into their propaganda machine.

Ingram says: “If we look at what’s happened since the start of the war… Russia has advanced a few tens of kilometres inside Ukrainian territory in the east.

“If we compare that to Russian advances over a similar period of time during the Second World War, they were [already] knocking on the doors of Berlin – their advances were measured in hundreds, if not thousands of kilometres.”