Ukrainian soldiers criticized the fortifications near Pokrovsk, where the Russian army is advancing

Ukrainian soldiers are criticizing the fortifications on the Pokrovske front, where Russian forces are advancing.

This was reported by Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel to the German outlet *Deutsche Welle*.

“It feels like the defense lines are being built not for us, but for the enemy,” said a soldier from one of the brigades fighting on the Pokrovske front.

According to him, late in the summer, an entire company of Russians descended into a trench designed to stop tank advances, moved from one settlement to another, and occupied it. Observation posts on the second line of defense were built “two meters high, just in the middle of a field—not behind the tree line but in front of it, facing the enemy,” the soldier complained.

Ukrainian parliamentarians have confirmed issues with fortifications.

“You arrive and see a well-built fortification. Half a kilometer away, another solid fortification. Another 800 meters, yet another great fortification. But then there’s a five-kilometer gap—nothing at all. The enemy won’t attack the fortifications head-on; they’ll bypass them, create a breach, and encircle these positions, forcing our soldiers to retreat,” said MP Dmytro Razumkov.

A Verkhovna Rada commission, of which Razumkov is a member, found that fortification construction lacks centralized management. Allocated funds are distributed among various agencies. In May, it was revealed that some fortifications in the Kharkiv region were incomplete and that timber for their construction was likely purchased at inflated prices. Razumkov personally witnessed locals dumping “heaps of garbage” into trenches and stealing materials that could be sold.

However, even some well-built Ukrainian fortifications were quickly captured by Russian forces, according to soldiers. The main reasons cited include a lack of trained personnel and insufficient artillery support.

Previously, the Ukrainian Armed Forces leadership stated there were no issues with fortifications. However, soldiers continue to report the absence of trenches.

Recently, a Ukrainian soldier reported that beyond Pokrovske, on the way to Dnipro, there are no strong fortifications.