[News in War History] Russian 'Trench Warfare' Unaffected Despite US AI Weapons Flood

Ukraine Becomes AI Auto-Targeting Technology Test Site
Long-Term Trench Warfare Shows No Winners... Efficiency Drops Sharply
Victory Not Guaranteed Even with Additional US Support

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Despite the passage of additional U.S. aid packages for Ukraine, concerns are growing internationally as Russian forces continue to maintain superiority on the Ukrainian front. This is because advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automatic targeting technology has been provided to Ukraine, yet despite ongoing military support from the U.S. and the West, Russia persists with World War I and II-style trench warfare, resulting in a stalemate on the front lines.

Conversely, Russia has been importing low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) from countries such as Iran, China, and North Korea, operating large-scale suicide drones and reconnaissance drones, which have pushed Ukrainian forces backward. Even the powerful, state-of-the-art tank units supplied by the U.S. have begun to retreat from the front lines, raising concerns about a possible Russian counteroffensive.

AI Drone Automatic Targeting Technology Test Site Ukraine... Efficiency Gradually Declining

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Let's start with the news. On the 23rd, The New York Times (NYT) cited U.S. Department of Defense officials, reporting that the entire Ukrainian battlefield is serving as a testing ground for the U.S. military’s AI automatic targeting algorithm program called the 'Project Maven.' However, its effectiveness has been gradually declining compared to the early stages of the war.

Project Maven began in 2018, led by Google, but after Google employees protested against its use in warfare and Google withdrew, over 60 companies have been jointly developing the project. The program synthesizes and analyzes various information transmitted from the battlefield through AI algorithms to inform frontline units of the most efficient and urgent attack targets.

Using this technology, the Ukrainian forces, despite being at a severe disadvantage compared to Russian forces at the war’s outset, have been evaluated as successfully conducting effective defense and sustaining a prolonged conflict. However, the NYT pointed out that recently, not only drones but also the latest high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) have frequently lost their targets and failed in attacks.

This is because Russia has been able to import large quantities of low-cost drones through China, Iran, and North Korea, freely using them for electronic warfare, target jamming, suicide attacks, and reconnaissance on the battlefield. These drones, much cheaper than missiles, disrupt Ukrainian forces both at the front and rear, significantly diminishing the operational command capabilities of AI.

Russia’s World War I-Style Trench Warfare Renders Advanced Technology Useless

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Additionally, a fundamental problem is that the conventional trench warfare, which Russian forces have maintained since the mid-war period, has completely stalemated the front lines, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to find breakthroughs. Despite deploying all kinds of advanced weapons, the thick Russian trenches are hardly penetrated, and even when destroyed, they are repeatedly repaired, keeping the front lines static.

Since the spring of last year, when Ukrainian counteroffensives began, Russian forces have installed large-scale defensive facilities throughout the occupied territories in Ukraine. These include anti-tank defenses known as 'Dragon's teeth,' which were notorious during World War I and II, as well as trenches, mines, and air defense installations densely arranged.

According to the British BBC, Russian forces have established a triple defense line exceeding 900 km across key front areas such as Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Due to the solid defensive lines consisting of trenches where soldiers defend, Dragon's teeth behind them, and defensive outposts further back, Ukrainian forces have struggled to break through.

This multilayered defense structure is known to have been first constructed by Nazi Germany during World War II. At that time, Nazi Germany built a defensive line called the 'Siegfriedstellung' stretching approximately 630 km from the Netherlands to the French border. Mines were laid first, followed by Dragon's teeth about 1 meter high, with additional mines placed between the teeth. Behind these were barbed wire, trenches, and defensive bases. Notably, Dragon's teeth were usually installed in two or more rows, and in many areas, four or more rows were set up.

U.S.-Supplied Tanks Retreat from Front Lines... Stalemate Despite Additional Support

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Amid Russia’s strong defensive lines and drone counterattacks, U.S.-supplied tanks to Ukrainian forces have actually begun to retreat from the front lines, increasing international concern. The Associated Press (AP) quoted a U.S. military official saying, "The M1 tanks provided by the U.S. last year have all withdrawn from the front lines, and the U.S. military will discuss new tactics with Ukrainian forces."

Earlier, in January last year, the U.S. government supplied 31 M1 Abrams tanks, considered the world’s most powerful tanks, to assist Ukraine’s counteroffensive. However, due to Russia’s low-cost drone offensives, tanks have become easier targets. They have been vulnerable to surprise attacks by suicide drones, as well as Russian fighter jets and missile bombardments, ultimately forcing them to withdraw from the front lines.

As a result, while Ukrainian forces captured thousands of Russian tanks early in the war, they have lost a significant number of tanks since the mid-war period. The AP pointed out that Ukrainian forces have reportedly lost more than 796 main battle tanks since the war began. Although this is fewer than the approximately 2,900 tanks lost by Russian forces since the war’s start, it still represents a substantial loss of tank units, including those supplied by the West. Even with continued U.S. additional weapons and financial support, breaking the stalemate appears difficult, raising concerns that the war could extend beyond another year.