Defense Ministry: Fortification building is almost completed in five directions 

UKRAINE, May 3 — The Ministry of Defense has announced the completion of the construction of fortifications in five directions. These are five regions, including Donetsk, where active fighting continues.

“Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions: construction of defensive fortifications is nearing completion in five directions at once,” the statement said.

Fortifications are designed to increase the effectiveness of weapons and military equipment, ensure stable command and control of troops, and protect troops and civilians from enemy weapons. The conversation about lacking fortifications along the frontline began after the Armed Forces withdrew from Avdiivka on February 17, and reports about soldiers having to dig trenches under Russian fire started to come in.

The Ministry of Defense demonstrated the arrangement of underground concrete shelters and the so-called “dragon’s teeth” designed to slow down the ground advance of enemy vehicles.

In the Kharkiv region, work continued in four directions, from north to east. “Sumy direction, northern border area, northeastern direction — Vovchansk, Kupiansk, and Luhansk in Izium region. These are the priority areas where we are building fortifications. The work will continue. We have instructions from the President on new directions. They are aimed at preventing the enemy from realizing their intentions in the directions I have mentioned,” said Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

According to Syniehubov, the construction of fortification in Kharkiv Oblast is almost complete. More than $43 million was allocated for their construction, including $1.8 million from the regional budget.

Cover credit: Trenches, underground paths, and concrete shelters. How fortification building looks like in Kharkiv Oblast / Ivan Samoilov for Gwara Media

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• According to Ukrainian intelligence services, Russia has a plan to capture Kharkiv and Sumy, said Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, Commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, in the interview with The Times.