#FinancialTimes: Kyiv is building 2,000km of fortifications to hold territory

The Kremlin’s troops are taking advantage of Ukraine’s dwindling supplies of artillery and ammunition while Washington drags its feet on critical future military support for Kyiv and the EU scrambles to fill the gap.

But Ukraine’s lack of robust, layered defensive lines is another reason the Russian army has been able to steadily press ahead and capture smaller swaths of territory along the 1,000km frontline.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would build new fortifications along three lines of defence totalling 2,000km by the end of spring. On Wednesday, he visited a location in northern region of Sumy to check on their progress.

“I inspected trenches, dugouts, fire and command observation posts,” he said, sharing a video of himself walking through the new earthworks. “Construction of fortifications continues,” he added.