Near the city of Zaporizhzhia, located 30 kilometers from the front line, fortifications are being carefully constructed in anticipation of a possible Russian military offensive. Reports TCN. This information is provided by Kontrakty.UA.
According to The Economist, a British publication, no one knows when the offensive will take place, but the construction of fortifications makes sense.
“As one of the three remaining centers of heavy industry in the country, the regional center [Zaporizhzhia] remains critically important for Ukraine's survival as a functioning state,” emphasizes The Economist.
The publication notes that new fortifications are being built in concentric circles radiating from the regional center.
"Work is being carried out meticulously – minefields, engineering barriers, structures made of concrete and steel – unlike the more chaotic situation in the neighboring Donetsk region, where the fiercest battles are still ongoing," the publication states.
What the Armed Forces of Ukraine say about the offensive
The Economist observes that not all Ukrainian military personnel consider an offensive on Zaporizhzhia to be inevitable.
Colonel Oleksiy Khilchenko, commander of the "Spartan" rapid response brigade recently deployed in Zaporizhzhia, noted that Russia is occupied elsewhere.
According to him, the Russians planned to send two divisions (20-30 thousand troops) for the initial assault, but half of them were redirected to the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
The commander of the 118th brigade, defending the southwest of Zaporizhzhia, known by the call sign "Lemberg," agrees with this viewpoint.
"They [the Russians] are not ready to attack yet, but when they are, the first strike will be the hardest," he emphasized.
It should be noted that the deputy of the Zaporizhzhia regional council, Serhiy Lysenko, previously reported that defense lines and fortifications in Zaporizhzhia have been under construction for a year.