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1. Falling Back Behind the Dnipro River

Historically, falling back across a major river involves:

• Phase Withdrawal: Done in stages to avoid collapse.
• Rear Guard Actions: Units delay the enemy to cover retreat.
• Bridge and Ferry Management: Secure crossings or destroy them after use.
• Artillery Cover: Fire support during withdrawal and to slow pursuit.
• Camouflage and Deception: Mask movements and create dummy positions.

2. Constructing a 7-Line Defense (Doctrinal Framework)

This is often layered as:

1. Forward Security Zone: Recon, sensors, minor units.
2. Disruption Zone: Obstacles (mines, traps), limited forces.
3. Main Defensive Belt (1st Line): Infantry trenches, strongpoints, ATGMs.
4. Secondary Line: Reinforced bunkers, armor reserves.
5. Artillery Fire Zone: Interdiction of enemy logistics/reserves.
6. Logistical Rear: Supply, command, repair, evacuation.
7. Counterattack Staging Area: Mechanized reserves.

To cover a 20 km deep kill zone, you’d typically use:

• Artillery and MLRS with 20–70 km range (e.g., HIMARS, PzH 2000, M109, or Soviet 2S19).
• UAVs and Counter-battery radars to locate and target Russian artillery.
• Mines and remote sensor fields (NATO standard can involve over 3,000 mines per km² in dense layouts).

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3. Estimating Artillery Shell Needs to Match Russian Capability

Russia reportedly fires 10,000–20,000 shells per day (varies by sector). To match that in a 20 km zone:

• Assume 3-4 battalions of artillery per 20 km front (18–24 guns per battalion)
• To sustain parity: ~2,000–5,000 shells/day per 20 km of front, depending on intensity.
• Ukraine would need:
  • ~60–150 shells per gun/day.
  • Minimum monthly supply: 60,000–150,000 shells/20 km.

Modern NATO doctrine prefers precision over volume, so:

• Use of Excalibur, Vulcano, or BONUS shells could reduce needed volume by 3–5x.

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