The government has paid UAH 300 million in advance to build fortifications, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"The total amount of money [needed] for the construction of fortifications is about UAH 800 million. We have already paid in advance. I made the decision last week – UAH 300 million had to be allocated for payment in advance," Yatseniuk said at a plenary sitting of the Verkhovna Rada on Friday.

He said that the construction of fortified structures is a crucial task for Ukraine, as delaying construction would cost much more.

"I once again noted that the military situation is extremely difficult, and as a part of our battle against Russian terrorism, our first task is to restore military equipment, the second one – is the construction of fortifications," Yatseniuk said.