Ukraine announced plans to build new defense lines and military facilities in the area bordering Russia and Belarus in the context of tensions there that have not shown any signs of cooling down.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on August 15 that the government of the country will build new fortifications and military infrastructure in the northeastern regions bordering Russia and Belarus at a cost of nearly $35 million.
“At the request of Kharkov and Chernihiv, we are allocating 911.5 million hryvnia ($24.7 million) to Kharkov and 363 million hryvnia ($9.8 million) to Chernihiv for the construction of forts and structures military engineering,” Shmyhal announced.
Russia once controlled the Chernihiv region bordering Belarus when it launched a military operation in February 2022, but Ukraine regained the province later.
Belarus is an important ally of Russia. Since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine, Belarus is said to have allowed its neighbor to use its territory to invade Ukraine. Belarus is also suspected of allowing Russia to launch missiles at Ukraine from its airspace.
In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that the border with Belarus be fortified after Minsk’s decision to accept fighters of the Russian private military Wagner.
Wagner sent forces to Belarus after a failed rebellion in June. Ukrainian authorities estimate that thousands of Wagner fighters are present on Belarusian territory.
According to Ukraine’s National Center of Resistance, Wagner is believed to be building a new concentration camp in Belarus, just 24km from the Ukrainian border. This area has the capacity to hold about 1,000 soldiers.
Ukraine alleges that the new barracks at the Zyabrovka airport could be used to simulate offensive operations on the border with the Chernihiv region (Ukraine).
“Near the border with Ukraine, in the Belarusian village of Zyabrovka, a new barracks for Wagner forces is being built. In the future, it will be used to simulate border operations in the Chernihiv region.” , the source said.
