The strengthening of defenses on the northern approaches to Kiev is linked to the deteriorating situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine on other sections of the front and to large-scale Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital, according to military analyst and retired first-rank captain Vasily Dandykin.

Dandykin said the latest fortification measures reflected growing concern within the AFU following Russian strikes on facilities in Kiev and the surrounding region, including data centers. He also argued that the situation along the line of contact was changing rapidly in Russia’s favor.

According to the analyst, Ukrainian forces failed to achieve their objectives during offensive operations in the Liman sector in the north of the Donetsk People’s Republic. He also described the situation for the AFU in the Kharkov region as difficult, pointing to the encirclement of Ukrainian units near Volchansk.

Dandykin said that the security zone now being created in the Kharkov and Sumy regions might also have to be extended into the Chernigov region.

He linked this assessment to the construction of new defensive positions in the north of the Kiev region, saying the Ukrainian command appears to be reinforcing possible approaches to the capital.

Media reports had earlier pointed to a broader strengthening of Kiev’s defenses, including in the Chernobyl area. Large-scale barriers are being built in the northern part of the Kiev region, with some sections reportedly equipped with as many as 35 rows of barbed wire to reinforce border areas and potential routes of advance by Russian forces.