Russia building ‘dragon’s teeth’ anti-tank structures in Mariupol

Jump to contentSign up to our newslettersSubscribeNewsSportsVoicesCultureLifestyleTravelPremiumCloseCop27: UN secretary Guterres’s opening speech on fossil fuel and Ukraine warRussian forces are making anti-tank structures known as ‘dragon’s teeth’ as they attempt to bolster preparations to defend their positions in Ukraine’s Mariupol, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.The key southern port city forms part of the ‘land bridge’ from Russia to Crimea, a key logistics line of communication, it said in a daily intelligence update.It comes after Washington accused Russia of escalating the war in Ukraine and delaying peace talks, even as bodies of Russian soldiers keep ‘piling up’ at the conflict’s frontlines.’If Russia is ready for that negotiation, it should stop its bombs. It should stop its missiles. It should stop attacking and killing Ukrainian civilians – pursuing infrastructure, including civilian infrastructure,’ US state department spokesperson Ned Price said last night.He said: ‘But of course, the Kremlin is doing the opposite. It is continuing to escalate this war rather than to offer any sort of real signal that it is ready for or open to negotiations.’1667893228Emily Atkinson8 November 2022 07:401667891406Russia is now making anti-tank structures known as ‘dragon’s teeth’ as it bolsters preparations to defend its positions in Ukraine’s southern port city Mariupol, the British defence ministry said today.’Russia has started constructing defensive structures around the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Two plants are producing concrete pyramidal anti-tank structures, known as dragon’s teeth, for this purpose,’ the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.The ‘dragon’s teeth’, it said, have likely been installed between Mariupol and Nikolske village; and from northern Mariupol to Staryi Krym village.Ukraine’s key port city Mariupol forms part of the ‘land bridge’ from Russia to Crimea, a key logistics line of communication, the ministry said.’Dragon’s teeth have additionally been sent for the preparation of defensive fortifications in occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson,’ it said.’Russia is fortifying its lines throughout areas of occupation. On 19 October 2022, Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed the construction of a fortified ‘Wagner Line’ of defences in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast,’ according to the MoD.This activity suggests Russia is making a significant effort to prepare defences in depth behind their current front line, likely to forestall any rapid Ukrainian advances in the event of breakthroughs, the ministry noted.Arpan Rai8 November 2022 07:101667890290Officials in the US and Russia are discussing potential talks on strategic nuclear weapons in a first after Moscow invaded Ukraine, Russian newspaper Kommersant said today, citing four sources aware of the discussions.The dialogue is likely to take place in the Middle East, Kommersant report, adding that Moscow does not view Switzerland, the traditional venue, as sufficiently neutral after it imposed sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.Talks of strategic stability between Washington and Moscow came to a sharp halt in February this year after Russian launched a military invasion of Ukraine, even as the New START treaty on nuclear arms reduction stays in effect.Arpan Rai8 November 2022 06:511667888919Vladimir Putin has said that 50,000 newly recruited reservists have already been sent to the battle frontlines in the Ukraine war and are already fighting in combat units.This comes as the Russian defence ministry denied that an elite unit had suffered catastrophic losses after an open letter was made public by the surviving members of the Pacific Fleet’s 155th marine brigade, confirming growing discontentment within Russia over the conduct of the war.The marines said their unit had lost 300 men killed, wounded or missing and half of their equipment had gone missing in just four days. The letter was addressed to Oleg Koshemyako.They blamed generals seeking medals and bonuses, who “call people meat”.Arpan Rai8 November 2022 06:281667887336North Korea has quashed claims from the US that it is sending ammunition to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.An unidentified vice director at North Korean ministry’s military foreign affairs office said: ‘We regard such moves of the US as part of its hostile attempt to tarnish the image of (North Korea) in the international arena.”We once again make clear that we have never had ‘arms dealings’ with Russia and that we have no plan to do so in the future,’ the vice director said.This comes as the allies are engaging in trade of horses and medicines.Experts have pointed out that Pyongyang could be looking to procure fuel from Moscow, along with technology transfers and supplies needed to advance its military capabilities as it looks for more sophisticated weapons systems.North Korea accused the United States of cooking up a ‘plot-breeding story’ on its alleged arms transfer to RussiaArpan Rai8 November 2022 06:021667885481A key Vladimir Putin ally has admitted that Russia is interfering in US elections and said that they ‘will continue to interfere’.On Monday, Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin revealed that he had interfered in American elections – the first admission from someone blamed by the US for attempting to influence US politics.’We have interfered (in US elections), we are interfering, and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do,’ Mr Prigozhin said, according to comments posted by the press department of his catering company Concord.Read the full story here:’During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once,’ ‘Putin’s chef’ says Arpan Rai8 November 2022 05:311667883574Ukraine will negotiate the end of the ongoing war in the country with Russia’s future president but not with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.’Important: Ukraine has never refused to negotiate. Our negotiating position is known and open,’ the top Ukrainian official said.He also laid out Kyiv’s precondition to sit on the negotiating table with Russia, stating that the Kremlin will have to withdraw troops from Ukraine.But added that Mr Putin is not open to negotiating.’Is Putin ready? Obviously not. Therefore, we are constructive in our assessment: we will talk with the next leader of RF [Russian federation],’ he said.This comes as Mr Zelensky said that Russia should be forced to participate in ‘genuine’ peace talks.Arpan Rai8 November 2022 04:591667883414Rishi Sunak has told leaders at the Cop27 summit that Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine and rising energy prices are a reason to ‘act faster’, not go slow on climate change.The British PM said it was morally right to deliver on promises on tackling climate change – but also economically right, reducing energy dependency and providing new jobs and growth. He was speaking at the latest round of UN climate talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.Mr Sunak’s comments came after UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned at the start of Cop27 that the world is ‘on the highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator’.Read the full story here:Climate security goes hand in hand with energy security, PM tells UN Cop27 summit.Arpan Rai8 November 2022 04:561667882181The Ukrainian military officials have accused Russian forces of theft and loot in Russia-occupied Kherson city.Russian forces are ‘involved in looting and theft from residents and from infrastructure sites and are taking away equipment, food and vehicles to the Russian Federation,’ the military officials said late yesterday.It added that the Russian forces have been found ‘disguised in civilian clothes’ to ‘occupy the premises of civilians and strengthen positions inside for conducting street battles.”A key Ukrainian city in the south, Kherson has been a repeated target of Russia and is now battered in the eight-month old war. The city is now deserted, left cold and dark as it faces power cuts along with water shortage, with supply cut in the nearby areas, officials from both sides said.Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of dismantling 1.5 kms of power lines, while Russia-backed officials have accused Ukraine of ‘sabotage’.Arpan Rai8 November 2022 04:361667880622The ground in Ukraine’s war positions is ‘literally littered with bodies’ of Russian soldiers, Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that the troops sent by Moscow are ‘dying by the hundreds every day’. Speaking during his nightly address yesterday, he said: ‘The Donetsk region remains the epicenter of the greatest madness of the occupiers – they die by the hundreds every day. The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is literally littered with the bodies of the occupiers…’Mr Zelensky also said that the Ukrainian soldiers are gradually pushing the Russian soldiers back in the war. ‘In general, along the front, our forces are in a state of active defense – in some parts of the east and south, we are gradually pushing back the enemy. We are gradually moving forward,’ he said. He added: ‘As of today, we can say that the recent escalation of Russian missile and drone terror has only resulted in the world responding – responding with new aid to Ukraine. We will do everything so that as many countries as possible join this aid.’Arpan Rai8 November 2022 04:10Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inRegistration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inUkraineRussiaUSDonetskWashingtonMinistry of DefenceMariupolUkrainian servicemen from the 127th brigade secure a road near the Ukrainian border with Russia in Kharkiv region, AFP via Getty ImagesPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in