Official tells of fortification efforts in Kharkiv region

In the Kharkiv region, military and private construction companies are setting up a fortification network as close as a kilometer to Russian positions.

That’s according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Civilian companies work alongside the military even in places where they are only a kilometer away from the enemy! For example, the installation of one concrete module with a firing point in it is an actual special operation. A crane and a loader must be deployed, this structure must be delivered and installed, and all this must be done very quickly before the team gets out of there. This is done at night. Everything is planned in detail with our military," Syniehubov said.

According to him, the tasks set by the military in the four main directions across the region have been completed by 95%.

"We will do more the end of the year. The main thing is the safety factor. Somewhere we can work, but somewhere we can't," said the official.

He noted that some construction workers quit after the first day on this job.

"It’s scary. And it's hard. We understand all this. We will think about how to increase their pay. But they are requirements and regulations, we can’t just go over our target spending due to the security factor," Syniehubov notes, adding that the safety factor should be included in a job pay.

As reported, at an end-of-year press conference on December 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the exemplary joint work of military specialists and construction companies on setting up fortifications in Kharkiv region.