The first line has been hard to pass, but analysts say too many resources have been focused on it. A change in command likely means Russia's not utilizing the depths of its defenses, analysts say. Michael Kofman, a defense analyst and senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told The Kyiv Independent that Ukraine was now working on breaching the second line. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkrainian generals say that the second line of defense will likely be far easier to break through, the Kyiv Independent reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementKofman told the paper that while Surovikin wanted a classic positional defense, Gerasimov preferred an active defense, including regular counterattacks, Kofman said.

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Persons: Michael Kofman, Kofman, Viktor Kivliuk, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, General Valery Gerasimov, Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Kyiv Independent, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Center, Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian