DThat Russian troops are clearly drawing another line of defense in eastern Ukraine. In form of CNN The nearly two-kilometer-long fortification was erected in front of the Russian-occupied town of Hirske, reported Saturday based on satellite images from Maxar Technologies. Hirske is located approximately 70 kilometers west of Luhansk, the capital of the region of the same name that was recently annexed by Russia.

The fortress consists of four rows of concrete pyramids designed to stop Ukrainian tanks and other vehicles. A deep trench was dug behind the anti-tank barriers. The defense line is far behind the present front, which runs for about 50 kilometers to the west at Bakhmut. efforts of Ukraine, to liberate the occupied territories, currently in the south. Zvezda TV, run by the Russian Defense Ministry, called the fort a “second line of defence” in case Ukrainian troops attempted to advance into the area.

After reviewing supplementary satellite images from the European Space Agency, CNN concluded that the trench would have been excavated in two phases, first from September 25 and again between September 30 and October 5. Russian media dubbed the fort the “Wagner Line” in reference to the infamous Russian mercenary force believed to be responsible for its construction.

The fortifications, which are less than two kilometers long, could easily be bypassed by Ukrainian troops. According to Russian media reports, the “Wagner” mercenary group is to significantly expand the defense. According to CNN’s calculations, the target would correspond to a total length of more than 200 kilometers. However, further satellite images showed no evidence of related construction work.