Construction of fortifications in Zaporizhzhia complete, Shmyhal says
The construction of fortifications in Zaporizhzhia and nearby settlements has been "100% completed," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec. 27.
Ukraine has been building heavy fortifications near the city of Zaporizhzhia in preparations for a potential Russian offensive in the region.
Shmyhal said on social media that 1.9 billion hryvnias ($45.5 million) had been allocated from Ukraine's state budget to construct "a total of 358 military strongpoints" in the region, adding that "hundreds of kilometers of defensive lines have been built."
The construction of fortification comes amid warnings from Kyiv of a possible Russian push in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 25 that Ukraine is tracking Russian troop movement in the southern region, and has observed "existing threats."
Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, said on Nov. 11 that Russia could launch a renewed offensive on Zaporizhzhia Oblast "any day." Russia has also begun deploying assault groups to frontline positions in region, Voloshyn said.
A renewed offensive into the region has not yet manifested, with Kostiantyn Denysov, Ukraine's Svoboda Legion spokesperson, saying on Dec. 7 that the situation on the Zaporizhzhia front is becoming "very difficult and tense," but the development was "predicted."
As Russia continues to advance elsewhere along the front line, the country's military is currently advancing at its fastest rate since 2022, according to analysts from the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Dec. 16 that Moscow aims to seize the entirety of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
Russia has repeatedly attacked settlements, including the city of Zaporizhzhia, with aerial weaponry since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Dmytro Basmat
