Ukraine Races To Complete Defense Lines To Stem Russian Advance

A concrete dugout built as part of Ukraine's new system of defensive fortifications is shown to the media on March 11 near an undisclosed location near Zaporizhzhya.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that Russian advances had been "halted" as his country embarks on building nearly 1,000 kilometers of defensive fortifications.

Zelenskiy, in an interview with France's BFM television on March 11, said Ukraine had improved its strategic position despite shortages of weaponry, but suggested the situation could change again if new supplies were not forthcoming.

A worker welds inside a concrete dugout. 

"The situation is much better than it has been over the past three months," Zelenskiy said.

 

The construction of three defensive lines is a "massive task, but the pace is good," Zelenskiy said.

Ukraine has increasingly used prefabricated combat shelters made from reinforced concrete. They first appeared in the Donbas in places like Avdiyivka and Maryinka, and they are currently being placed in areas where Russian strikes are highly likely.

Workers install part of a massive concrete enclosure.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported in January that Kyiv had allocated $466 million for the construction of fortifications, calling it a "record amount."

 

Pyramidal anti-tank obstacles known as "dragon's teeth" are inspected before being installed. 

The Wall Street Journal reported on March 7 that Ukrainian troops are building the fortifications in expectation of a Russian offensive in the spring, though there are worries that the progress is not fast enough.

 

A recently constructed trench fortification

Nearly 25 months into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, World War I-style tactics continue to dominate the landscape.

Zelenskiy cautioned that the halting of Russian forces will be increasingly difficult if the Ukrainian Army is not sufficiently resupplied.