Ukraine's Dragon Teeth: How anti-tank systems blocked Russia's attack

Recent video evidence from Ukraine's frontlines has highlighted the effectiveness of anti-tank barriers in stopping armored attacks and securing defensive positions during combat.

Ukrainian dragon’s teeth, a pyramidal anti-tank defensive obstacle that is made of concrete, halted a Russian armor attack in the Kurakhove sector according to Militarnyi. Combat footage of the incident was recorded and released by Ukrainian forces that thwarted the attack. 

The Ukrainian 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade published what may be the best combat footage of dragon teeth anti-tank obstacles in action from the war in Ukraine. The video shows a Russian attack being stopped as it hit a line of dragon's teeth obstacles. 

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Militarnyi reported that a Russian convoy was trying breakthrough fortifications set up by the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade. However, the attack failed when the convoy could'n t make it through a line of dragon’s teeth. 

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Russian forces were trying to bypass a road in the area and attack Ukrainian forces via a field from occupied Maksymilianivka moving towards Kurakhove. 

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The Russian convoy was under artillery fire as it approached the dragon’s teeth, which forced the lead element to slow down and start shooting at the defense obstacles with its main gun. This was captured by a drone. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @oaembr46

Information published by the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade alongside the video of the assault noted that a Russian convoy consisting of 5 BMP infantry fighting vehicles and two tanks attacked in the morning. The models of the vehicles were not identified. 

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Once the convoy was halted, Ukrainian drone operators started attacking the Russian convoy with first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones. They targeted a tank firing at the line of dragon’s teeth and eventually stopped the attackers. 

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The 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade reported that four of the infantry fighting vehicles and two of the tanks in the attacking convoy were destroyed. However, the claim hasn’t been independently verified. 

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Another Russian convoy consisting of two BMPs and a tank attacked the same area in the afternoon, all of which the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade claimed were destroyed. 

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It is unclear from the second Russian convey's attack was included in the video footage published by the 6th Separate Airmobile Brigade. 

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Dragon’s teeth are a useful defensive obstacle but Militarnyi pointed out that they only work well as defensive obstacles when there are troops in the area that can counterattack armored assaults on the barriers.   

“If the fortifications do not have military personnel behind them to inflict damage on the enemy, the ‘dragon’s teeth’ will be ineffective,” Militarnyi explained. In the case of the attack in the video, Ukrainian forces were able to make successful use of the barriers. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @oaembr46

Militarnyi noted that dragons' teeth and other anti-tank obstacles make passages through them difficult to clear for enemy forces, and added that these types of barriers are often also combined with wire barriers to create an effective defensive line. 

“For effective defense, anti-tank bulwarks usually need to be partially buried in the ground. However, in the Russian-Ukrainian war, they are usually simply placed on the ground,” Militarnyi also explained. 

It is unclear from the footage published by the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade whether the dragon’s teeth in the video were buried or just placed in the area. However, they still seemed to prove effective regardless of how they were positioned. 

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Photo Credit: Telegram @oaembr46