Beaver on Ukraine's Side? ... Dam Helps Block Russian Invasion

Wetlands Formed in Northwest Ukraine Near Belarus Border
Warm Weather Creates Muddy Ground, Acting as an Obstacle

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The beaver, an animal known as the 'architect on water' for building dams, has emerged as a new ally for Ukraine.

On the 13th (local time), the British Daily Telegraph reported in an article titled "Beavers save Ukraine from invasion" that the wetlands formed by dams built by beavers are blocking Russia's invasion routes.

The appearance of a beaver. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Beavers, rodents, mainly live in rivers or swamps. Their specialty is gnawing down trees with their strong front teeth and then building dams by adding soil or stones. The length of these dams is usually 20 to 30 meters, but sometimes they can reach up to 650 meters.

Ukrainian beavers have built dams in the northwestern region bordering Belarus, and thanks to the thick mud layers and wetlands formed there, the invasion route of Russian troops passing through Belarus has been partially blocked.

The reason Russian troops are struggling with the beaver dams is that the weather in Europe is warmer than usual this year. Temperatures in northern Spain and various parts of Switzerland exceeded 20 degrees Celsius earlier this month. Warsaw, Poland, where the average January temperature is minus 2 degrees, recorded 18.9 degrees on New Year's Day. Major European meteorological agencies predict temperatures will remain more than 5 degrees above average until early next month. Because the wetlands created by the beaver dams do not freeze due to the high temperatures, they have become muddy and swampy.

The defense brigade of Volyn Oblast, bordering Belarus, views the wetlands created by beaver dams as providing a geographical advantage to the Ukrainian military while buying time to prepare for the invasion. The brigade's spokesperson, Serhiy Hominsky, said, "The beavers have made the ground wet and difficult to pass through," adding, "They are an unexpected new ally for us." He further explained, "Normally, when beavers build dams, people destroy them, but this time, due to the war, they have not done so, so the area is surrounded by water."

Konrad Muzika, an analyst at military intelligence firm Rochan Consulting, also assessed that "(Volyn) would be a terrible area to conduct airstrike operations." He analyzed that Volyn's characteristics of having abundant water and few roads make it easy for Ukrainian forces to funnel Russian troops into locations where they can be shelled.

Belarus, a key ally of Russia, shares a border with Ukraine, and there are constant expectations that it could be used as a new invasion route for Russia. The Telegraph reported that a large number of Russian military aircraft have recently been deployed in Belarus, and another joint military exercise is scheduled for next week, raising tensions.