According to Ukrainian sources, defensive fortifications built by the Ukrainian Armed Forces over several years have become a serious obstacle for their own troops. The main problem lies in extensive anti-tank ditches with only a limited number of narrow crossings for military vehicles.

Ukrainian soldiers have reportedly expressed frustration with the engineers responsible for designing these defenses. The lack of alternative routes forces military units to use the same passages repeatedly, making them vulnerable to Russian mines and FPV drones positioned in standby mode. According to the reports, a single Ukrainian brigade can lose up to ten vehicles overnight in such areas.

One Ukrainian serviceman described how he and his fellow soldiers attempted to find another crossing over an anti-tank ditch. They walked approximately seven kilometers along the obstacle but failed to locate a suitable passage for vehicles.

Ukrainian sources also report that whenever Russian forces identify and gain control of another narrow crossing, Ukrainian commanders are forced to send engineering teams to create new passages. As a result, Ukrainian troops must navigate their own anti-tank ditches, barbed-wire barriers and concrete obstacles known as dragon’s teeth.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine was constructing an extensive network of defensive fortifications. However, the newspaper noted that these defensive lines were being built unevenly across different areas.

In 2025, members of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada also criticized the construction of defensive positions in the country’s northern regions. According to the lawmakers, some fortifications were never completed despite substantial funding being allocated for the projects.