Problems with the construction of defensive lines in Ukraine contribute to the advance of the Russian army - media.

Ukraine is setting the goal of finishing the construction of several defensive lines that could stop the rapid advance of Russian troops. However, according to Ukrainian officials and commanders, these efforts are hampered by delays and a lack of coordination.

This year, Russian troops achieved their fastest successes in the eastern part of the Donetsk region, pushing the frontline back to the west, sometimes by up to 15 km from the border with the Dnipropetrovsk region, reports Isabel Koshiv from the Financial Times, cited on the ZN.UA website.

'The situation with fortified structures is another factor that demoralizes the troops. Funds are scattered across all regions, and everyone builds on their own. There is no one person responsible for quality, planning, the transfer of these positions, and oversight of them,' said former ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmytro Razumkov, who is now part of the parliamentary committee investigating delays and possible corruption in the construction of defensive structures.

According to the correspondent, the Dnipropetrovsk region spent $7.3 million on fortifications from November 2023 to November 2024, as stated in an information request. However, two officials responsible for construction in the area said that the funds spent did not yield significant results, and constructions only began to be actively built about two months ago.

Rob Lee, a military analyst, noted that Russian military-engineering troops have long had an advantage over Ukraine in the construction of fortified structures with greater speed and quality.

One infantry commander, whose construction company built fortified structures for the army before he and his employees were mobilized, reported that defensive lines still remain a low priority. Throughout the war, his unit has been moved 32 times, and each Time they had to build their own defensive positions and gather funds for it. Meanwhile, the second and third lines were often built without consultations with the troops, or in the wrong place, or too far from the first line.

Furthermore, the commander noted that environmental restrictions make it difficult to construct defensive structures. Ukrainians can use a limited number of trees for fortifications, while Russians are cutting down many Ukrainian trees.

After the Ukrainian counteroffensive operation in 2023 failed to achieve success, the construction of fortifications faced further delays due to a lack of coordination and instances of corruption. According to a representative of the parliamentary committee, law enforcement agencies in Ukraine have initiated 30 criminal proceedings for the embezzlement of funds amounting to $483 million.