DESPERATE Russians are digging trenches to defend Crimea as the occupied peninsula can be struck by Ukraine’s deadly artillery.

Putin‘s goons have been frantically unearthing old ditches and carving out new ones in Kherson for them to hunker down in.

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Russian troops are digging trenches in Northern Crimea to hunker down in[/caption]

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Shocking satellite images appear to show an excavator carving out trenches[/caption]

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Putin’s men appear to have realised they are in the firing range of Ukraine’s artillery[/caption]

It seems they have realised they will be sitting ducks when defending the territory under attack from deadly HIMARS rockets.

The devastating missiles, supplied to Ukraine by the United States, can travel up to 50 miles and hit within 10ft of their intended target.

Shocking satellite images show the panicked progress of the trenches between August 12 and October 8 this year.

The earth has noticeably been disturbed in a range of locations between Crimea and Kherson – where Russian troops reportedly withdrew on Wednesday.

Russian troops appear to have restored trenches in the north of the peninsula, including near the Chonhar checkpoint and Armyansk.

Satellite imagery sleuth Benjamin Pittet spotted the trenches and shared the images on Twitter.

He pointed out an excavator in one of the shots, that seemed to be digging out a zig-zag-shaped pit for Putin’s men to cower in.

Further north in Novotroits’ke, a mammoth defensive position appears to have been dug – and are also dotted around various areas of the region.

Benjamin ominously warned: “They are building a fortress.”

He suspects the trenches have been excavated deep enough for even armoured fighting vehicles to fit in.

Ukraine’s military remain unable to confirm if Russian troops have withdrawn from Kherson – and Zelensky’s advisors fear Putin could secretly be laying a trap.

Putin’s men were supposedly ordered across the Dnipro River to take up defensive lines – but some won’t believe it until they see it.

Mykhailo Podolyak believes Russia could actually be sending in reinforcements as Putin appears to lose his grip on the Ukraine war.

And Ukraine’s presidential advisor warned Putin has turned Kherson into a mine-riddled “city of death” to ambush Ukrainian soldiers.

He suspects apartments, sewers and other public buildings have been rigged up with deadly explosions.

It comes as a dodgy video – expertly produced with elegant lighting -was released showing two Russian troops solemnly leaving their post.

PUTIN’S PUPPETS

They complained it was a “difficult” moment when crossing to the other bank of the Dnieper River, saying it was the “first time” they had seen the water or Kherson.

Putin’s puppets continued: “Now it’s clear to me, why what is happening is happening.

“Defending the city with this supply would be complete madness. It’s difficult, bitter. Especially since it’s now a Russian Federation subject.

“We saw many banners here ‘Russia is here forever’. We’ll see what’s going to happen next. Hoping that somehow we’ll win this back.

“I would like to say one more thing: if there’s a desire for victory, a desire for resistance, nothing is lost. I hope we will return.”

Kherson was one of four Ukrainian territories, along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, which were annexed by Russia following sham referendums in September.

At the time, Russia claimed that the new territories would remain Russian “forever”.

Ukraine have continued to make promising gains in the Kherson region, with the military confirming another 12 villages 260 square kilometres of territory were liberated.

Russia claim they have been forced to retreat due to “re-supply issues” as strikes on their routes have obliterated their reserves.

Kherson was the only regional capital conquered by the Russians since the start of the war more than eight months ago.

It is viewed as the gateway to Crimea and has remained a key point of contention for both sides throughout the war.

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Two of Putin’s puppets recorded a clip leaving their posts following the Russian withdrawal from Kherson[/caption]

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Intricate trenches have been dug in the north of the peninsula leaving Zelensky’s advisors fearing the retreat is a trap[/caption]