Ukraine starts building defence lines near Kharkiv anticipating Russian offensive

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have deployed a large amount of Western equipment near Kharkiv, the head of the Kharkiv region Vitaly Ganchev said.

Russian intelligence services identify locations where military equipment is either stored and deployed before striking such places.

The Ukrainian military are actively building fortifications in the Kharkiv region too. The build-up is associated with Kyiv's preparation for a possible offensive that the Russian forces plan to carry out in this direction, Vitaly Ganchev said.

In March 2024, it was reported that defensive structures and military posts began to be installed in Kyiv and the region. Defence is being strengthened along the entire perimeter. Local residents spoke about the emergence of new trenches in the Ukrainian capital. The military also established posts in the Vyshgorod area in the Kyiv region in the direction of Belarus.

Meanwhile, Verkhovna Rada deputy from the European Solidarity faction Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that the construction of defensive structures began too late.

"They finally started building them, but it's too late. They indeed started last month,” she admitted.

On March 22, the Russian army launched a massive missile strike on the territory of Ukraine. As many as 15 explosions were reported in Kharkiv alone. The head of the regional military administration, Oleg Sinegubov, said that the attacks hit energy facilities.

In particular, the Russian military struck the Kharkov Transport Engineering Plant. All substations, as well as thermal power plants, were damaged in Kharkiv.