Watch: Inside Ukraine's new fortifications built to repel Russian invasion
As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, President Zelensky has ordered a huge building programme to try and repel the Russian army.
Along the frontline Ukrainian engineers are installing miles of defensive fortifications, from trenches to concrete bunkers.
They have an air of permanence, another sign of how positional this war has become.
In Zaphorizhzhia in southern Ukraine, long stretches of freshly dug trenches are clear evidence of Ukraine's move to a defensive footing.
Amidst the trenches are steel bunkers able to sleep six soldiers and withstand a Russian artillery strike.
In front of the bunkers and trenches, rows of dragon's teeth barricade anti-tank ditches and minefields.
In the northern sector alone, military officials say they have increased defences by more than 60% in the past few months.
Other bunkers are made from reinforced concrete and welded together in situ.
It is hoped these will help Ukraine withstand Russian assaults and reduce the number of casualties.
This will give Kyiv some breathing room to replenish its manpower, ammunition, and combat power.
Fortifications like this are being installed along the eastern front but also along Ukraine’s border with Belarus and as far west as Poland.
President Zelensky has also ordered the southern sector around Kherson to be reinforced.
With neither side able to make a decisive breakthrough, Ukraine is digging in for a long war.
Join Our Newsletter
