Kyiv races to build defensive lines as it braces for Russian offensive
Semafor Signals
Supported by
Insights from Verstka, The Washington Post, and the Financial Times
The News
Ukraine is racing to build 1,200 miles of defensive fortifications as Kyiv braces for another Russian offensive in the coming months. On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukraine’s northern Sumy region to inspect efforts to build trenches, dugouts, and rows of so-called dragon’s teeth — large cement obstacles aimed at blocking Russian tanks.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on March 4 that more than $800 million had been budgeted for building defensive positions as Ukraine aims to stop the slow gains Russia has made in recent months. “Work is carried out on a daily basis, 24/7,” he said.
SIGNALS
Fearing a new Russian offensive, Kyiv races to strengthen defenses
The race to beef up Kyiv’s defensive positions comes as Western and Ukrainian officials warn of a larger Russian offensive in the coming months. Russian independent media have reported that the Kremlin is gearing up for a new mobilization of manpower and an offensive that could be aimed at Kharkiv, the largest city in Eastern Ukraine. The need for better defensive positions has been further bolstered by Russia’s growing use of Soviet-era glide bombs, which carry up to a half-ton of explosives and allow Russian troops to destroy even concrete-reinforced shelters. The bombs “simply demolish, destroying houses and foundations that can be used for defense fortifications,” a Ukrainian military spokesperson told The Washington Post.
Better late than never when it comes to defensive lines
Defensive lines cannot come soon enough, Ukrainian soldiers and military experts say. Frontline troops have complained about poorly built defensive positions for months, but construction only got going at a large scale in February, the Financial Times reported. The issue came to a head in the embattled eastern town of Avdiivka, where a lack of defensive lines meant scores of Ukrainian troops were killed or captured in a chaotic retreat last month. But Ukrainian officials have had reason to delay, long fearing that by building robust defensive lines, they would in effect be splitting the country in two and creating a line that could become akin to a border, The Economist reported.
