In the Kharkiv region, a temporary special commission on the construction of defense structures was created, which is engaged in assessing the quality of their construction. In parallel with this, the State Bureau of Investigation is also conducting research in this direction. However, the military is prohibited from covering this topic in their interviews, and journalists are accused of being biased and playing to Russian narratives when mentioning these issues in their materials.
Representatives of the "Slidstva.Info" publication interviewed servicemen of three different brigades of the Defense Forces, which are participating in deterring the enemy's offensive in the region. Some of them were given "educational talks" by the management, which recommended refraining from discussing any issues related to defense structures with journalists.
One of the soldiers noted: "We were not directly pressured, but everyone who expressed any opinion about the fortification, whether it was their own or they knew (the commanders, note), we had conversations with them."
We refrain from disclosing the names of units, as well as the names or callsigns of military personnel, so as not to expose them to pressure from their leadership. We emphasize that this material is not intended to reproduce a complete picture of the readiness of the defense lines in the region, but to provide an idea of the censorship and pressure felt by servicemen and journalists in connection with the coverage of this problem.
What is happening in the north of the Kharkiv region?
The Russian offensive, which began in the first half of May, caused the transfer of forces to reinforce the brigade of the Defense Forces in this direction. The efforts of the military managed to restrain the advance of the enemy, but the Russians still advanced in two areas: in the area of the city of Vovchansk and the Lipetsk community. This provoked conversations about the quality of fortifications, which were built in the region since 2022.
On May 13, in a column for "Ukrainian Pravda", the head of the "Mezh" Anti-Corruption Center claimed that the Kharkiv regional administration paid millions to fictitious companies for the construction of fortifications. Also, the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center calculated how much state money was spent on wood for these works, noting that in some cases its prices in the Kharkiv region were higher than in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions. The SBU also showed interest in the possible overpricing of defense lines.
Why is the military concerned about fortifications? Problems with the quality and readiness of fortifications began to be raised by the military themselves. Already on May 12, the commander of the intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Denys Yaroslavskyi, reported that street battles were ongoing in Vovchansk, and emphasized that the fortifications and mines on the border of the region, which were transferred to the Russian occupiers, were absent. Meanwhile, the National Guard unit "Sharp Kartuza" reported that the Ukrainian military retreated from some positions.
In this regard, the opportunity for journalists to work with the military in this area was temporarily closed, and "educational conversations" were held with some soldiers.
"We were told not to mention the fortification, the offensive, the lost villages. Do not publish anything. No explanation was given. They only say that we are working for the enemy. And the fortifications are very bad, just very bad. We have to arrange everything again," said one of the fighters in a conversation with journalists.
Cases when it was necessary to independently equip positions are not rare. For example, the "Investigations.Info" unit noted that they had to place their positions in the old Russian dugout due to insufficient readiness of new fortifications.
"We have been building a line of fortifications since 2022, but it was not completed. The boys were sent to these fortifications, knowing that they were to be, but they were not complete. Therefore, the guys have now retreated back to the old Russian dugout and are setting up their positions there, and then they will move here. We didn't have time, our calculations didn't work out - we'll have to finish it ourselves," said the soldier.
Some military personnel also expressed complaints about the quality of the work performed.
"Somewhere there is just a concrete booth in the middle of the field. Such fortifications are built near landings, on heights, so that you are less visible. We have it done stupidly in a pit. All the water flows in, and you can't see anything," remarked another soldier.
Work on the construction of defense lines in the Kharkiv region has been ongoing since 2022 and continues to this day. "Slidstva.Info" journalists spent several hours at the construction of one of the platoon strongholds in May. The reconstruction of these points in the areas of the breakthrough of the Russian forces continued until the offensive itself.
After CNN published a story in which a member of the 13th Charter National Guard Brigade also claimed that the fortifications on their site were not ready, the unit issued a public statement denying the claim.
"It is important for us that the information about our unit is objective, and that the comments of our soldiers and commanders are understood not as separate quotes, but have a clear and unambiguous context," the statement said.
They also tried to influence the material of journalists from "Slidstva.Info", who covered the topic of fortifications in the Kharkiv region. They were asked to remove all mentions of fighters about problems with missing or incomplete fortifications. During three days, representatives of different levels tried to "convince" journalists. Some of them argued that this is a politically sensitive topic, and mentioning specific divisions could lead to pressure from above.
In general, it is difficult to get a clear picture of fortifications in Kharkiv Oblast for several reasons. First, responsibility is divided between different departments. For example, the responsibility for the construction of the "first line" rests with the units of the Defense Forces, for the "second" - with the engineering brigades, and for the "third" - with the local military-civilian administrations. Secondly, it is impossible to officially receive information about the readiness of the "second line" of defense, since the Support Forces claim that it can be useful for the enemy.
At the moment, journalists find themselves in a situation where, trying to cover the fighting in the Kharkiv region, they either have to keep silent about the issue of fortifications (which the military themselves tell them about), or talk about these problems, risking a ban on work in this area and creating problems for the military themselves , which deter the Russian offensive there.
In any case, everyone loses. Because the problems remain, and the front line is advancing not in our favor.
