Kremlin digs trenches in Crimea amid fears of liberation attempt

RUSSIA is fortifying Crimea and digging trenches for miles behind the front lines in anticipation of further Ukrainian breakthroughs, according to the Ministry of Defence.

“Russian forces continue to prioritise refitting, reorganisation and the preparation of defences across most sectors in Ukraine” following the withdrawal from Kherson city a week ago, the ministry said in its daily intelligence update.

Yesterday Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed governor of the region, corroborated the claims.

He said: “Fortification work is being carried out on the territory of Crimea under my control with the aim of guaranteeing the security of all Crimeans.” The Ministry of Defence said Russia was digging trenches at the Crimean border, as well near the Siversky-donets river between Donetsk and Luhansk. “Some of these locations are up to 60km [37 miles] behind the front line, suggesting that Russian planners are making preparations in case of further Ukrainian breakthroughs,” the report says.

Ukraine has mounted a successful counteroffensive in recent weeks, recapturing more than half of the land it lost to Russia during the war.

Last week it reclaimed Kherson, the capital of the Ukrainian region that borders Crimea, and says it will push on to reclaim the entire peninsula that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.