Kyiv Independent
@kyivindependent
Independent journalism from Ukraine to the world. Russia’s war, geopolitics and the future we’re heading toward.
July 16, 2026
Francis Farrell
When people call Donetsk Oblast Ukraine’s “fortress belt”, this is what it looks like on the ground. In this video, the Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell walks through one stretch of defenses built for drone warfare: cleared tree lines, layers of barbed wire, anti-tank ditches, and dragon’s teeth running in unbroken lines — all inside a kill zone where Ukrainian drones can spot and strike within minutes.
Cities like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk would already cost Russian forces heavily to take. The fortifications funnel any advance onto a handful of roads, built as choke points to draw troops in and inflict losses at scale — a ground-level answer to arguments that Ukraine should simply give up this land.
These child murdering bastards should get NOTHING.
Except of course a rope.
It’s comforting to a certain extent.
But if you are able and prepared to take monumental losses as these cuntz are, the problems are not insurmountable.
For example, if the enemy deploys heavy ramps, they can get their gear across the obstacles. Therefore the defenders will still need enormous firepower to destroy the bastards.
I’d guess that cluster munitions are all but essential.
The UK is building many more artillery barrels for the defenders. They probably need to double their artillery arsenal.