"Digs deeper": Ukraine has started the largest construction of defense structures for the whole time of the war - WSJ

"The deeper army is a surviving army," military engineer Oleg, who is responsible for almost 300 kilometers of defensive lines within a large -scale project, explained to reporters. Oleg's plot is a kilometers of concrete "pyramids" that extend from Kharkiv to Zaporizhzhya region. The program of strengthening the front line has been going on for the second year, but is faced with constant delays, blows and even arrests on charges of corruption.

The authors of the material have noted that over the past one and a half years, Russian troops have broken several weak areas of Ukrainian defense and have taken advantage of unfinished borders. "Ukraine hopes that a triple belt of fortifications will be able to stop similar breakthroughs in the east, where Russia is fighting for Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka," the article reads. The first line of defense is erected infantry, the second - engineering parts like Oleg regiment.

Civil administrations are responsible for the third line - it should surround key cities and strengthen the borders of the regions. Each line is designed to stop Russian troops even before their breakthrough. In 2024, over UAH 46 billion (approximately $ 1. 1 billion) was allocated for fortification - almost 2% of the total military budget. Officials claim that the real amount is even higher, but they do not reveal the exact figures.

At the same time, due to the rapid evolution on the battlefield, some elements of fortifications may be obsolete earlier than Russian troops reach them. For example, at the beginning of a full -scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainians used long trenches to protect the infantry from shelling. Now priority is protection against drones. New trenches dig deeper, create shelters for small groups, equip command points for UAV operators. Instead, classic elements, such as observation points, no longer work.

Since armored vehicles are reduced in Russia, it more often sends small groups on motorcycles and buggy. In response, Ukrainian units install a dense network of invisible metal spirals capable of confusing fighters and equipment and make them easy to target for drones. Journalists emphasized that Russian troops are now 20 kilometers from Sumy, and soldiers who serve in the region warn that there is also no reliable defense.