Large-scale work to create a circular defense has been launched in Odesa. The Regional Directorate of Territorial Defense 'South' has published footage showing how the city is being transformed into an impregnable fortress. Multi-kilometer anti-tank ditches are being dug around the metropolis, dugouts are being built, and obstacles are being installed, including armored barbed wire 'caltrops' (egozha), which are even being laid on the bottom of water bodies.
Construction of the 'Kill Zone'
The video footage shows heavy machinery working in open spaces. Excavators are digging the ground to a depth of about two meters in the middle of fields. People in military and civilian clothing are installing barbed wire against the backdrop of plains, shores, and bays. The frame also captures the process of submerging 'caltrops' in the water to create underwater obstacles.
Representatives of the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) explain their actions not as panic, but as working ahead of the curve. In a post on the Directorate's Facebook page, they paraphrased a well-known Latin proverb: 'If you want peace, prepare the kill zone in advance.' The goal of these measures is to create an insurmountable barrier for a possible landing and tank attack, so that the enemy knows from the outset that breaking into the city is impossible.
Secrecy and Threats
Despite the activity, the exact location of all fortifications is not disclosed. It is unclear whether this refers exclusively to the southern coastline or the border with unrecognized Transnistria, where a Russian military grouping is stationed. In early May, a representative of the Defense Forces, Serhiy Bratchuk, confirmed the presence of a 'potential threat' from Transnistria, noting an increase in security measures in this direction. A representative of the State Border Guard Service, Andriy Demchenko, also spoke about possible attempts by sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRG) and military equipment to break through, although there was no information about a sea landing at that time.
Interestingly, the official Telegram channels of the head of the Odesa City Administration, Serhiy Lysak, and the head of the Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Kiper, remain silent about the construction of defensive structures. At the same time, the Defense Forces 'South' page regularly publishes reports on combat operations. In the last 24 hours, 21 attacks by the Russian Armed Forces were recorded, most of which were on the Zaporizhzhia front, and two in the area of the Antonivsky Bridge in the Kherson region.
Context of Shelling
The need to strengthen defenses is dictated by real threats. The Ukrainian Air Force reports constant attacks on the region. On the night of May 26, a high-speed target was heading towards the city. Earlier, on May 20, Odesa was subjected to a massive shelling: a Russian 'Shahed' kamikaze drone pierced the wall of a high-rise building at the 12th-floor level. Explosive ordnance disposal experts managed to neutralize the device and lower it to the ground. Another resonant incident occurred on May 18, when a Chinese ship was hit by drone strikes on the port.