Ukraine’s unfinished fortifications help occupiers advance quickly - FT
The defence lines on the border of Dnipropetrovsk oblast are still unfinished, and there are gaps between Velyka Novosilka, Kurakhove and Pokrovsk that could become a critical vulnerability in the event of a Russian offensive.
According to Censor.NET, the Financial Times reports.
"Ukraine is trying to complete several defence lines that could halt the rapid advance of Russian troops, but according to Ukrainian officials and commanders, these efforts have been marred by delays and a lack of coordination.
This year, Russian troops have made the most rapid progress in the eastern part of Donetsk region, pushing the front line westward, in some places up to 15 km from the border with neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region," the article says.
According to the publication, Dnipropetrovsk region spent $7.3 million on the construction of fortifications over the year, but the results remain insufficient. The work intensified only two months ago, which led to significant delays in strengthening key areas.
"A Financial Times reporter who visited the Dnipropetrovsk region adjacent to Donetsk last month saw several prepared positions and an anti-tank ditch, as well as several positions still under construction or abandoned, unfinished," the article says.
A person in charge of building fortifications in Donetsk region told the FT that most of the defence lines in the region, particularly around major cities, were completed by the end of October. However, there are still gaps in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where a second line of fortifications is still under construction and a third has not even been laid.
According to military analyst Rob Lee, Russian engineer forces have long had the advantage of building fortifications with greater speed and quality than Ukraine. He added that after the capture of Vuhledar, Russia was able to advance quickly because Ukraine "clearly didn't have a lot of defences built behind it," forcing Ukrainian troops to retreat.
What prevents Ukraine from building defence lines
One infantry commander, whose construction company had built fortifications for the army before he and his staff were mobilised, said that defensive lines were still a low priority. His unit has been relocated 32 times during the war, and each time it has had to build its own defensive positions and raise funds to do so. Meanwhile, the second and third lines were often built without consulting the troops, either in the wrong place or too far from the first line.
The commander also noted that environmental restrictions complicate the construction of defensive structures. Ukrainians can use a limited number of trees to build fortifications, while Russians cut down many Ukrainian trees.
After Ukraine's counter-offensive in 2023 failed, additional delays in the construction of fortifications occurred due to a lack of coordination and corruption. According to a representative of the parliamentary committee, Ukraine's law enforcement agencies have opened 30 criminal proceedings on embezzlement of funds totalling USD 483 million.
In early December, Servant of the People MP Mariana Bezuhla said that no fortifications had been built on the Oskil River and on the border with Russia in the two years since Kharkiv region was liberated from the enemy.
