A wall of concrete pyramids with trenches behind them the Wagner Group built in Ukraine's occupied east. (Maxar Technologies/CNN)
Recently published satellite images from Maxar Technologies show a nearly two-kilometer anti-tank fortification of four rows of cement pyramids with a large trench behind them in the Russian-occupied town of Hirske in eastern Ukraine, CNN reports.
According to CNN, Russian media outlets have reported from the site, calling it the "Wagner Line" in reference to the Russian state-backed private military company Wagner Group.
A Russian tabloid also claimed recently the Wagner Group would continue to build the fortification, but additional satellite imagery analyzed by CNN did not show any further construction.
CNN wrote that while the barriers could stop a frontal attack, Ukrainian forces could just travel around the fortifications.
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Moscow's ongoing summer offensive has not reached the Kremlin's expectations as Ukrainian troops continue to thwart Russian attacks on various regions, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on July 13.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said in an interview with CBS News on July 13 that he expects an influx of U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine to begin "in the coming days," as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to make a "major statement" on the war in Ukraine on July 14.
A Russian drone attack on the city of Sumy on July 13 killed one person and injured three others, Governor Oleh Gryhorov reported, amid a larger attack on the region's critical infrastructure.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit Washington on July 14-15, the military alliance's press service announced on July 13. The visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump previously said he intends to make a "major" announcement on Russia on July 14, potentially signifying a major policy shift on the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials signed agreements, memorandums, and joint statements on raising funds totalling 3.55 billion euros ($4.15 million) following the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC) on July 10-11 in Rome, Ukraine's Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories announced July 13.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down a recent string of mysterious deaths and arrests among Russia’s elite, as well as and explains the implications Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have for a future conflict between China and Taiwan. Also in this episode: The U.S. resumes some military aid to Ukraine after an abrupt halt by the Defense Department last week.
