Belgorod governor shares pictures of fortification lines being constructed on border with Ukraine

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Belgorod region governor, has shared pictures of fortification lines to which he refers as “abatis lines” being constructed on the border with Ukraine.

Gladkov announced the start of construction yesterday. He stated that the Belgorod region authorities were “preparing for all sorts of scenarios.” The governor did not elaborate on the construction talks, explaining that “open sources information may be monitored by the opponent.”

Abatis lines is a historical term used to describe systems of defence fortifications used in the 16th and 17th centuries on the southern and southeastern frontiers of Russia. The abatis lines consisted of barriers made up of felled trees supplemented by natural local obstacles alternating in treeless sectors with palisades, post obstacles, and earth walls.