Ukrainian forces are building up defensive capabilities along the entire border with Russia and Belarus, Ukraine's State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on April 8 on national television.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in March that Ukraine was building 2,000 kilometers of fortifications across three lines of defense after Ukrainian authorities received criticism for slow progress.
The Ukrainian government has already allocated Hr 20 billion ($512 million) for building fortifications in 2024, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in April.
"When talking about the state border with Belarus, there are no indications that Russia has any forces there to conduct an offensive against our territory," Demchenko said, adding that Belarus still supports Russian aggression and poses a threat.
Demchenko said that Ukrainian forces continue to strengthen defensive capabilities in the northern direction, as well as along the state border with Russia.
Ukraine's State Border Guard spokesperson also said that "there is no way of doing engineering fortification directly on the front line," but such operations are conducted "in the maximum proximity" to it.
Russian forces continue to attack with various munitions near the state border in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts, according to Demchenko. The activity of Russian sabotage groups remains high, especially in Sumy Oblast, he added.
In April, Zelensky visited Chernihiv Oblast bordering Russia and Belarus to meet with local officials and inspect the construction of fortifications.
Regional authorities told Zelensky that a strip of barriers and an extensive network of strongholds had been created along the entire border between Russia and Belarus.
Kateryna Hodunova
