Tuesday, May 26, 2026 10:00:27 AM

Authorities in Odesa are building fortifications around the city in preparation for a circular defense, according to the regional territorial defense administration. A video posted by the administration shows the installation of reinforced razor wire, known as “Egoza,” being laid across fields and even along the seabed or riverbeds. The footage details how Odesa officials are strengthening defenses in the south.

Local authorities have clarified that the construction of these defensive structures is not in response to an imminent breakthrough by Russian forces, but rather to ensure that such an event never occurs. The video on the territorial defense administration’s Facebook page notes that around the city, workers are digging multi-kilometer anti-tank trenches, building bunkers, and installing concrete “dragon’s teeth” and barbed wire to create what is described as a “kill zone.”

The 30-second video shows excavators digging up to two meters deep in open fields, with people in both military and civilian clothing setting up barbed wire as plains, shorelines, and a bay or river appear in the background. The footage also reveals the “Egoza” being submerged underwater and other types of barbed wire stretching around Odesa. The narration emphasizes that the city is being prepared to repel a possible tank assault.

“Odesa is being prepared for an all-around defense. The construction of multi-kilometer anti-tank trenches and bunkers around the city is nearing completion, with ‘Egoza,’ ‘dragon’s teeth,’ and tangled obstacles being installed,” the video explains.

The territorial defense forces referenced the Latin phrase, “If you want peace, prepare for war,” rephrasing it as, “If you want peace, prepare your kill zone in advance.” They stress that these preparations are not bravado, but preemptive work to make clear to Russian forces that any attempt at a landing will not succeed.

Authorities did not specify where exactly the new fortifications are being constructed-whether along the southern coastline or on the border with Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russian troops are stationed.

There is currently no information about the construction of defensive structures or preparations for circular defense on the Telegram channels of Odesa city administrator Serhiy Lysak or regional chief Oleh Kiper. Meanwhile, the Facebook page of the Southern Defense Forces reports ongoing combat operations, recording 21 Russian attacks in the past day-most near Zaporizhzhia, with only two near the Antonivsky Bridge in Kherson. Activity in Odesa was recently reported by the Ukrainian Air Force, which noted the latest strike on the night of May 26, when a high-speed target approached the city.

Earlier in May, a representative of Ukrainian forces and the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Serhiy Bratchuk, told media that there is “potential threat” from Transnistria, but security measures are being ramped up in that direction. This was echoed by State Border Guard Service representative Andriy Demchenko, who indicated there could be attempts by Russian sabotage groups and armored vehicles to break through from Transnistria, but there is no information about sea landings.

On May 20, Russia carried a major attack on Odesa, with a Russian “Shahed” drone striking a residential high-rise . According to emergency services, the drone penetrated the wall of the building on the twelfth floor, where an explosives technician later defused the device and safely removed it.

Just two days earlier, on May 18, during another Russian drone attack on the port in Odesa region, a Chinese ship in the Black Sea was struck. Ukrainian defense officials have commented on the incident.

(c)UAWIRE 2026