Russia has constructed some of the most extensive military defenses in the world in decades in occupied Ukraine, the UK defense Ministry said in a Monday morning intelligence update.
The trenches and defensive lines have been built up in southern Ukraine since mid-2022 and have been laid not only on the front lines but deep within occupied territory. Some trenches have also been dug in Russian territory, the UK Defense Ministry said.
“Imagery shows that Russia has made a particular effort to fortify the northern border of occupied Crimea, including with a multi-layered defensive zone near the village of Medvedevka,” said the UK ministry. “Russia has also dug hundreds of miles of trenches well inside internationally recognized Russian territory including in the Belgorod and Kursk regions.”
The extent of the defenses indicates the Kremlin’s concerns about a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the ministry claimed.