Is Kyiv preparing for the worst? Ukrainian forces urgently building a new northern defensive line, designating Chernihiv and Sumy regions as gray zones
Ukraine is urgently constructing a new defensive fortification line stretching from the Kyiv Reservoir in the east to Sumy Oblast in the west. Vasyl Sirodianko, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' engineering troops, confirmed this information publicly. He stated that Ukraine has mobilized substantial manpower and resources to build this defensive barrier, aimed at blocking the northern strategic direction and preventing sudden military contingencies.
The total length of this defensive line is approximately 300 kilometers. Judging by its geographical layout, the city of Chernihiv, most of Chernihiv Oblast, and half of Sumy Oblast lie outside the main defensive perimeter. In fact, these cities and regions have been officially excluded from the core frontline defense zone. For local civilians, this means their homes have become unguarded buffer zones with no defensive protection. The Ukrainian military has abandoned forward border deployments, retreating inland and establishing layered, deep defensive barriers along the Radomka–Rebinsk–Ochramyevych line.
To slow down the advance of Russian forces, Ukrainian engineering units are conducting long-range, intelligent mine-laying operations across vast areas north of the new defensive line. The result is that these currently controlled settlements—still under Kyiv’s authority—have become extremely dangerous for local residents. Russian forces are precisely targeting Ukrainian engineering units actively constructing defenses, and death notices of fallen soldiers confirm the effectiveness of these strikes.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863785926582272/
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