“Since last summer, we have warned that defensive fortifications need to be built on an industrial scale, bringing together relevant ministers and local military administrations so that defensive lines can be built quickly and be extremely strong,” opposition lawmaker Rostyslav Pavlenka told Politico.
In the fall, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhalis recognized the need to upgrade old defensive structures and install new defensive fortifications, as Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive was unsuccessful and after months of fighting brought only small territorial gains.
Ukraine’s counterattack failed in part because Russian forces were very well entrenched and Ukrainian troops were unable to break through three formidable and well-designed defense lines, Politico reports.
Military analysts at Britain’s Royal Joint Services Institute (RUSI) warned of what could happen before a counterattack, and in 2023. May. the report warned that “engineering has proven to be one of the strongest branches of the Russian military. The defenses now in place, consisting of complex obstacles and field fortifications, will pose a major tactical challenge to Ukrainian offensive operations.”
Now that the Ukrainians are facing the prospect of a concerted Russian attack, the question is whether their defensive lines will be as good as the Russians – and whether they have left too little time to build serious defensive lines.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Telegram/Construction of new defense lines of Ukraine
“They finally started building them. But it is late. They actually started last month,” said Ivana Klympuš-Tsincadze, an opposition lawmaker and former deputy prime minister in former president Petro Poroshenko’s administration.
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov told Politico, “We started building and repairing the defensive fortifications only on March 1.” He said he could not say when they would be completed. “The fortifications are complex and will consist of barriers that can stop armored vehicles and minefields,” he said.
A former senior field commander said he was concerned that Ukraine did not have enough mines for the new fortifications — and enough mobilized troops to properly service them. He was granted the request of anonymity to speak freely.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Telegram/New defense lines are being rapidly built in Ukraine
In November, V. Zelenskis discussed with the commanders of the army the need to significantly expand the fortifications, but only in February D. Šmyhalis announced about 524 million. USD funding for their construction, and other sources provided another 280 million. dollars.
“There is money now,” said R. Pavlenka. “But now we need to put that money to good use.” On a recent excursion – he declined to say where for security reasons – he was disappointed with both the pace and the materials used.
On Wednesday, V. Zelensky inspected some fortifications in the Sumy region, a couple of hours northeast of Kyiv.
The fact that Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a former aide to the president, was recently appointed as an adviser to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov contributed to the upheaval in the parliament. He resigned in 2023. in January, after accusations of corruption poured in.
“We asked why a person who was dismissed from his position, which was named as an anti-corruption action, reappeared in the Ministry of Defense at such a time,” said R. Pavlenka.
He said Ukraine needed to build strong defensive fortifications because Russia now uses powerful cruise bombs that cause massive damage on the front lines, which some fear will tip the military balance.
The 1.5 ton FAB-1500 bomb is a conversion of an old Soviet weapon. It is delivered by fighter jets about 70 km from the target, then guided by a guidance system and glides towards the target using pop-up wings.
FAB bombs were used in Russia’s recent offensive in the Donetsk region, destroying the defenses of Avdiyivka, a city in eastern Ukraine that fell to Russia last month.
“We will need very deep fortifications to withstand these aerial bombs,” Pavlenka said.
“The Russians build fortifications wherever possible, regardless of whether they are on the offensive, and this is a sound logic of war,” he added.
