During the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

that started in 2022, both belligerents have built extensive fortifications in the respective theaters of war, which have proven pivotal for the war effort. Various defensive structures, such as

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches res ...

bunkers A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

, anti-tank barriers, and urban fortresses, were built to slow down advances and protect key areas. The defensive structures combine traditional military engineering and the innovative use of modern technology for

defense-in-depth Defence in depth (also known as deep defence or elastic defence) is a military strategy that seeks to delay rather than prevent the advance of an attacker, buying time and causing additional casualties by yielding space. Rather than defeating a ...

. The nature of these conditions has been likened to the

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from a ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

History

With operational necessity over the course of the war, the construction of defensive lines was intensified. In the beginning of the war, large swaths of the Ukrainian defense line on the border with Russia were crossed. The front was engulfed in fast-paced maneuvering by both sides as part of the Kyiv Offensive and related efforts in the

Northern Ukraine campaign The northern Ukraine campaign was a theater of operation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It involved attacks by Russia across the Russo-Ukrainian and Belarusian–Ukrainian borders, beginning on 24 February 2022, for control of Kyiv, the ...

, until Russian advances stalled, and both sides started to dig in mid-2022. Major Russian efforts to protect the frontline began after the successful Ukrainian counteroffensives in

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

and

Kherson Kherson (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and , , ) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-bui ...

, in order to effectively fend off future counteroffensives, which proved to be a success with the frontline-wide

2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive In early June 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine launched a Counter-offensive, counteroffensive against Russian forces Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupying its territory with a goal of breaching the front lines ...

. Notable examples are the Surovikin line, which covers wide areas in south and eastern Ukraine, the smaller Wagner line, but also fortifications along the Crimean shore. After Russia seized the initiative across the frontline in late 2023 due to

supply Supply or supplies may refer to: *The amount of a resource that is available **Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers **Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission *Supply, as ...

delays for Ukraine, the Ukrainian leadership ordered the construction of major defensive structures in threatened areas of the frontline in the renewed efforts to capture Donetsk Oblast. Particularly after the Russia-Ukraine barrier was swiftly crossed in the Russian 2024 Kharkiv offensive, new defenses were built to prevent overstretching of Ukrainian lines in face of Russian monumentum. The Zaluzhny line is supposed to fulfill this purpose. To deter raids by pro-Ukrainian formations into

Bryansk Bryansk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), Desna River, southwest of Moscow. It has a population of 379,152 at the 2021 census. Bryans ...

Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...

and

Belgorod Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...

, the Russian authorities began to construct defenses along the border to stabilize this area. In the first attack on Russian territory with Ukrainian army formations, Russian formations in Kursk's fortifications were overwhelmed, and Ukrainians swiftly advanced into adjacent territory.

Russia

Surovikin line

Overview

The Surovikin line is a complex set of fortifications in southern and eastern Ukraine, engineered by and named for

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Sergey Surovikin. Surovikin had the line built during his tenure as the overall theater commander immediately after Ukraine's

2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive On September 6, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive against the Russian military during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Ukraine announced the start of the 2022 Kherson counteroffensive, Kherson counteroffensi ...

. According to CSIS, the Surovikin defensive works are the most extensive set of fortifications created in Europe since the end of the Second World War. A UK defense intelligence report concluded that “Russia has constructed some of the most extensive systems of military defensive works seen anywhere in the world for many decades". The complex, multi-layered system of defensive lines hinged on the village of Robotyne and was

breached Breached was a Canadians, Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario, active from 2010 to 2015. Its members were Bobby Noakes (vocals), Age of Days, Mike Diesel (guitar/vocals), Ryan Alexander (bass), and Dear Jane, I..., Neil Uppal (drums). Mike ...

after months of heavy fighting by Ukrainian forces. The last line of defence centered around the city of

Tokmak Tokmak (, ) is a small city in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in south-central Ukraine. It stands on the Tokmak River, a tributary of the Molochna. It is the administrative centre of the Tokmak urban hromada, and was the centre of the T ...

, which was constructed around all the city.

Structure

Russia has built a 2,000-kilometer line of fortifications from its border with

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

to the Dnipro Delta, with 1,000 kilometers inside Ukraine. These defenses are divided into systems aligned with Ukrainian oblasts:

Zaporizhzhia Zaporizhzhia, formerly known as Aleksandrovsk or Oleksandrivsk until 1921, is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It is the Capital city, administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia ...

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; ; ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capita ...

, and

Luhansk Luhansk (, ; , ), also known as Lugansk (, ; , ), is a city in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. As of 2022, the population was estimated to be making Luhansk the Cities in Ukraine, 12th-largest city in Ukraine. Luhansk served as the administra ...

. Each area presents unique challenges to Ukrainian forces. The defenses consist of an extensive network of trenches, artillery positions, antipersonnel and anti-vehicle mines,

razor wire Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent trespassing by humans or to secure facilities such as prisons where there is a risk of escape. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has gener ...

, earthen berms, and dragon’s teeth—to hinder the movement of main battle tanks and

mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with Armoured personnel carrier, armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also armoured corps). As defined by the United States Army, me ...

. The fortifications aim to slow Ukrainian advances and channel them into favorable areas for Russia. Ukraine faces tough choices: attack the heavily fortified paths to

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

s in Donetsk, or the less strategic Luhansk. Each option involves overcoming significant defenses and potential counterattacks.

=Zaporizhzhia

= This area has three subsystems of defenses. The frontline extends 150 kilometers with multiple barriers, supported by artillery. The second line could become a new front after a Ukrainian offensive. A third line consists of fortifications around key towns. Russian mobile and positional defenses mean the areas between are also guarded. This setup reflects Zaporizhzhia's strategic importance.

=Kherson

= Russia relies less on layered fortifications due to favorable terrain and has defenses along the Dnipro Delta and River, which require complex amphibious assaults to cross. River crossings wouldn't allow deep penetration due to logistical challenges. The destruction of a dam in June 2023 further complicated the area with flooding.

=Donetsk

= The front here combines old and new fortifications with complex urban terrain. Pre-2022 positions remain but may be less effective due to disuse. Urban combat is challenging due to large city sizes. Fortifications prevent bypassing cities, with Russian reserves quickly deployable due to proximity to Russia.

=Luhansk

= The defensive system is divided into southern and northern parts. The southern area centers around

Severodonetsk Sievierodonetsk or Severodonetsk, officially since 2024 Siverskodonetsk, is a city in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located to the northeast of the left bank of the Donets river and approximately to the northwest from the administrativ ...

, similar to Donetsk's defenses, with positions in the

Kreminna Kreminna (, ) is a city in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it served as the administrative center of former Kreminna Raion. Its population was estimated at as of January 2022. Following the Russian invasio ...

forests. The northern system extends to Russia’s border, with a possible secondary line behind towns on the Krasna River. Russia uses towns for first-line defense, with fieldworks to contain breakthroughs. Northern gaps may be targeted but involve risks due to proximity to the Russian border.

Efficiency

= 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive

= The

was greatly hindered by Russian defenses, comprising extensive fortifications and strategic use of terrain. The Russian use of large

minefield A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...

s made Ukraine the most heavily mined country in the world, concentrated in South and East Ukraine. The initial mechanized assaults may have faltered due to the following factors or a combination of them. Former Commander-in-Chief

Valery Zaluzhny Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi (; born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian Four-star rank, four-star General officer, general and diplomat who is currently serving as List of ambassadors of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Unit ...

, responsible for the counteroffensive, highlighted the problem of minefields with high density, which slowed the advance and enabled the enemy to concentrate fire on armored vehicles. Critics argue that Ukraine's strategy of dividing forces across multiple fronts diluted its impact. The flat, open landscapes of the southern front left Ukrainian forces exposed to artillery and air attacks, while urban areas were fortified to channel and disrupt Ukrainian movements. Additionally, Ukraine's military lacked certain capabilities like a contingent of modern fighter aircraft, which made breakthroughs more difficult. Changes in Ukrainian tactics, focusing on artillery attrition rather than rapid advances, reduced equipment losses but slowed progress. This shift resulted in more effective coordination between combat branches, but without air superiority, it remained challenging to achieve breakthroughs. At the end of August 2023, after long and bitter fighting, the

Ukrainian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

captured the village of Robotyne, which lies on the outer contour of the “Surovikin Line”. On September 21, 2023, Ukrainian armored vehicles,

Stryker The Stryker is a family of Eight-wheel drive, eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in L ...

, Marder IFV and MaxxPro APC, crossed the Surovikin Line for the first time.

Wagner line

Overview

The Wagner line (, ) is a

defense line A defense line or fortification line is a geographically recognizable line of troops and armament, fortified and set up to protect a high-value location or defend territory. A defense line may be based on natural difficult terrain features, s ...

built in

eastern Ukraine Eastern Ukraine or East Ukraine (; ) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts (provinces). Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are often also regarded as ...

by the

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

group during the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

. On ,

Yevgeny Prigozhin Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin (1 June 1961 – 23 August 2023) was a Russian mercenary leader and oligarch. He led the Wagner Group, a private military company, and was a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin until launching a ...

, the leader of the paramilitary group Wagner, announced that he had begun the construction of the defense line. The aim is to prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing towards the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, which was annexed by Russia in . According to the Russian media, it is a second line of defence in case the Ukrainian armed forces try to penetrate the area. In a report dated , the British Ministry of Defence considered that Moscow prioritized the construction of defensive positions on the Svatove–Kreminna line.

Structure

The line consists of two double rows of pyramidal concrete blocks called " dragon's teeth" to block tanks from advancing. Between these two defensive curtains, a deep trench and firing stations complete the device. It is not known whether the line has mines. The project foresees about of fortifications in eastern Ukraine, up to the Russian border. The line shall extend on a south-north axis starting from the city of Svitlodarsk, along the front line to the

Donets River The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets (), is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv ...

, and then form an acute angle again eastwards, following the course of the river to the border. Andrey Bogatov, another leader of the Wagner Group, said that construction of the line had also begun in

Belgorod Oblast Belgorod Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Belgorod. , the population is 1,540,486. History During the Princely ...

, Russia.

Efficiency

Several experts questioned the efficiency of the line. For Xavier Tytelman, a conflict observer and defence consultant, "The dragon's teeth should be partially buried so that only the tip can pass through. A simple armoured bulldozer is enough to turn them over". According to the Ukrainian Governor of Luhansk Region,

Serhiy Haidai Serhiy Volodymyrovych Haidai (; born 6 November 1975) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian entrepreneur and politician. He was the Governor of Luhansk Oblast, head of the Luhansk Regional Military–Civil Administration from 25 October 2019 to 15 March 202 ...

, only 2km had been built as of October 2022. The

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

considers - through the study of satellite photos - that 12km had been built as of February 2023. According to a bulletin issued in February 2023 by the ISW, Prigozhin's proposed extension of the Wagner line is intended to defend the border between Belgorod Oblast and the Ukrainian oblasts of

Sumy Sumy (, , ) is a city in northeastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel (river), Psel River and has a population of making it the 23rd-largest in the country. The city ...

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

and

, but "would not cover the northern part of Luhansk Oblast up to the line of contact with the occupied territories, thus contradicting the Kremlin's promises to defend the entire Luhansk region". Dragon's teeth were not buried or camouflaged in the Wagner line before February 2023, which, according to a BBC article, severely limits their effectiveness. It may also be noted that the line did not protect the city of

Sievierodonetsk Sievierodonetsk or Severodonetsk, officially since 2024 Siverskodonetsk, is a city in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located to the northeast of the left bank of the Donets river and approximately to the northwest from the administrati ...

as of November 2022. The local authorities in Belgorod have already asked the Wagner Group to stop the construction of the

Crimean defense line

Dozens of kilometres of trenches were dug on the beaches of annexed Crimea by April 2023 to protect them from landing paratroopers. Fortifications were built in the areas of Medvedevka, Vitino and in other parts of the peninsula. In addition to trenches, anti-tank bunds, ditches and artillery pieces were installed along the Black Sea coast — positions at

Perekop Isthmus The Isthmus of Perekop, literally Isthmus of the Trench (; transliteration: ''Perekops'kyi pereshyiok''; ; transliteration: ''Perekopskiy peresheek,'' , ; ; transliteration: ''Taphros''), is the narrow, wide strip of land that connects the Cr ...

. As of early November 2022, fortifications were also being built on the border with

Kherson Oblast Kherson Oblast (, ; ), also known as Khersonshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in southern Ukraine. It is located just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson, on the northern or right bank ...

Ukraine

Russia–Ukraine border defense line

{{See also, Russia–Ukraine barrier

Overview

The

Russia–Ukraine barrier The Russia–Ukraine barrier, also known as the Ukrainian Wall or the European Wall (), and officially called "Project Wall" () in Ukraine, is a fortified border barrier built on the Ukrainian side of the Russia–Ukraine border. Early construc ...

, or "Wall", is a fortified border barrier constructed by Ukraine along its border with Russia. Initiated in 2014 amid the annexation of Crimea and conflict in Donbas, the barrier aims to enhance security, prevent

smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...

, and curb illegal crossings. Its construction supports Ukraine's efforts to assert sovereignty and protect its territorial integrity against Russian aggression.{{Cite web , date=11 September 2014 , title=Ukraine Starts Building Wall to Keep Russia Out , url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/archive/ukraine-starts-building-wall-to-keep-russia-out , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716183924/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/archive/ukraine-starts-building-wall-to-keep-russia-out , archive-date=16 July 2024 , access-date=16 July 2024 , website=

The Moscow Times ''The Moscow Times'' (''MT'') is an Amsterdam-based independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking to ...

In August 2017, a major corruption scandal rattled the project, as it became public that large amounts of the money intended to pay for the Wall project were misused and even stolen. The

National Anti-Corruption Bureau The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine () is a Ukrainian Government, Ukrainian law enforcement agency, law enforcement anti-corruption agency which investigates corruption in Ukraine and prepares cases for prosecution. It has investig ...

(NABU) announced the arrest of several individuals involved in the building of the fortified border. On May 5, 2021, Chief of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Serhiy Deineko, said that the government continued works to fortify the country's border sections with Russia. Due to decreasing funding and rising costs, the end of construction was planned for 2025; its readiness was estimated at 40% as of the end of May 2020. As of May 19, 2021, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has completed 51.4% of the "Wall" project. In December 2021, according to information provided by the State Border Guard Service at the request of

Focus Focus (: foci or focuses) may refer to: Arts * Focus or Focus Festival, former name of the Adelaide Fringe arts festival in East Australia Film *Focus (2001 film), ''Focus'' (2001 film), a 2001 film based on the Arthur Miller novel *Focus (2015 ...

, the project was completed. Instead of the “Wall”, the

Cabinet of Ministers A cabinet in governing is a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state, or advise a head of state, usually from the executive branch. Their members are known as ministers and secretaries and they are ...

approved a new program for the arrangement of the state border for UAH 36 billion.{{Cite web , date=2022-01-20 , title="Стіна Яценюка" добудована, на проєкт за 7 років витратили майже 2,5 млрд гривень, — ДПСУ , url=https://focus.ua/uk/ukraine/503850-stena-yacenyuka-dostroena-na-proekt-za-7-let-potratili-pochti-2-5-mlrd-griven-gpsu , accessdate=2023-07-17 , website=ФОКУС , language=uk After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian media began to call for strengthening the state border with Russia. In April 2022, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, said that this should include fortifications along the entire border.

Structure

In 2014, the Ukrainian government announced that the defense lines will include a 60-kilometer stretch of a "non-explosive barrier," thousands of kilometers worth of trenches for personnel, armored vehicles and communication lines, and 4,000 army dugouts. The structure also includes

barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire or bob wire (in the Southern and Southwestern United States), is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the ...

watchtowers A watchtower or guardtower (also spelt watch tower, guard tower) is a type of military/paramilitary or policiary tower used for guarding an area. Sometimes fortified, and armed with heavy weaponry, especially historically, the structures are ...

, and electronic surveillance systems. At the announcement of its completion, 403 km of anti-transportation ditches were arranged, 332 km of rocky roads, 149 road crossings over ravines, 99 km of metal fences, and 62 kilometers of Egoza concertina barriers were built. In April-June 2022, several more engineering structures were planned to be completed. Four strongholds and 9 firing positions were set up at the state border in Kharkiv region, and 9 video monitoring and alarm systems were built. A similar mechanism was also installed in Luhansk region.

Efficiency

Despite the defences, Russia was able to cross the border and conduct fast paced mechanized advances in border areas. In September 2022, after a counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops reached the border with Russia, Vsevolod Kozhemiako, commander of the Charter volunteer unit, published a photo of the damaged structures of the project.{{Cite web , date=2022-09-12 , title=Українські військові знайшли "стіну Яценюка" на кордоні з Росією (відео) , url=https://focus.ua/uk/voennye-novosti/529025-ukrainskie-voennye-nashli-stenu-yacenyuka-na-granice-s-rossiey-video , accessdate=2023-07-17 , website=ФОКУС , language=uk

Zaluzhny line

UA military fortification in Zaporizhzhia oblast 2024 04

In December 2023 there were talks of starting construction on the Zaluzhny line, named after the former

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine () is the professional head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The position was created by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 March 2020, before which the Chief of the General Staff was the c ...

Valerii Zaluzhnyi Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi (; born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian four-star general and diplomat who is currently serving as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 2 ...

{{cite news , url=https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2023/12/03/news/ucraina_linee_difensive-421560958/ , title=Ucraina, la controffensiva è fallita: Kiev si arrocca in difesa e blinda i suoi confini , date=3 December 2023 Zelensky said that a new phase of the war had started, which coincided with the culmination of the poor results of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023.{{cite news , url=https://www.ilmessaggero.it/schede/controffensiva_ucraina_congelata_cambio_biano_cosa_sta_succedendo_ora-7793067.html , title=Controffensiva ucraina congelata, cosa sta succedendo? Kiev cambia i piani, guerra ormai in stallo , date=2 December 2023 {{cite news , url=https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-1-2023 , title=Institute for the Study of War Urged by the US, Zelensky approved the construction effort in a video released on the 30th of November. US Secretary of Defence

Lloyd Austin Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star General (United States), general who served as the 28th United States Secretary of Defense, United States secretary of defense from 2021 to 2025. Before ...

went to Kyiv to confer with Zelensky and Russian media suggested that the Ukrainians would receive money only for defensive purposes from that time onwards.{{cite news , date=December 2023 , title=Winter is here: Zelensky suddenly accepts Zaluzhny's proposal on defensive fortifications , url=https://english.pravda.ru/world/158318-zelensky_ukraine_fortifications/ Zelensky told French media on 12 March 2024 that $520 million had been allocated for this purpose.{{cite news , url=https://english.nv.ua/nation/three-lines-of-defense-are-being-built-in-ukraine-s-east-south-and-north-volodymyr-zelenskyy-50400552.html , title=Ukraine strengthens defense with three lines of fortifications — Zelenskyy {{cite news , url=https://english.nv.ua/nation/zelenskyy-reports-progress-in-ukraine-s-three-pronged-defensive-line-measuring-2-000-kilometers-50400200.html , title=Construction of Ukraine's sprawling 2,000-km defensive network proceeding apace, Zelenskyy says 2,000km of fortifications would be dug in at

Avdiivka Avdiivka (, ; , ) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The city is located in the centre of the oblast, just north of the regional centre, Donetsk. The large Avdiivka Coke Plant is located in Avdiivka. The city had a population of before th ...

, Maryinka, Kupyansk, Lyman and in border regions with Russia and Belarus.

References

{{Reflist

External links

{{Russian invasion of Ukraine 21st-century fortifications

Fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...