Ukraine's front line is not a line - it is a gray zone of overlapping kill corridors stretching roughly 10 to 12 miles, which both sides call the "kill zone." American analyst Michael Kofman lays out this dynamic in detail in a Foreign Affairs article published February 16, 2026.
As "Hvylya" reports, Kofman explains why the dominant battlefield mechanics make any conventional armored breakthrough nearly impossible.
Forward positions are outposts with large gaps between them, not a continuous defensive line. The density of strike and reconnaissance drones means "mechanized attacks are easily repelled, and small numbers of infantry attempting to infiltrate through the zone are relentlessly hunted by drone units," he writes. Roads are draped in anti-drone nets, every vehicle carries a roof-mounted electronic warfare system, and armored vehicles "look like giant hedgehogs, draped in nets and branches."
In 2025, a fierce contest unfolded for dominance in this zone. The year began with Ukraine holding the advantage - the kill zone sat predominantly over Russian positions. But elite Russian drone formations, including "Rubikon," gradually pushed it toward the center of the battlefield, eroding Ukraine's edge. "Superiority in drone capabilities now dictates initiative on the ground," Kofman concludes. Ukraine is now racing to restore that edge with new laser systems and high-speed interceptors.
The result is paradoxical for Russia: using small infantry groups or lightly motorized forces "simply does not generate enough momentum to convert a penetration into an offensive." Even local drone superiority fails to translate into meaningful advance - and surging Russian casualties confirm the cost of trying.