14:40 28.11.2014

Ukraine digs over 130 km of anti-tank ditches along border with Russia

2 min read
Ukraine digs over 130 km of anti-tank ditches along border with Russia

Ukrainian border guards continue to dig anti-tank ditches along the border with Russia.

"As to the progress of work in the Ukrainian-Russian border area, we have dug 135.54 kilometers of anti-tank ditches and built obstacles along 86.42 kilometers," Ukrainian State Border Service Director Viktor Nazarenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

A report released in the middle of October said 62 kilometers of anti-tank ditches and 50 kilometers of other obstacles had been created on the Ukrainian-Russian border and 750 kilometers of security zones, as well as trenches, dugouts and checkpoints had been reconstructed by the Ukrainian State Border Service.

"There is no such thing as border reinforcement begun in one place and continued on the same spot - the work is being done practically along the entire border with Russia and the administrative line with Crimea," Nazarenko said.

He reminded reporters that Project Stina (Wall) was not an official name.

"Speaking of the formal interpretation of the border reinforcement project, we launched a state target program for the period until 2015 in 2007. The program currently has a budget of UAH 5.9 billion. A total of UAH 2.2 billion has been assigned from various sources so far," he said.

An action plan for the equipment of the Ukrainian-Russian border and territories adjoining the anti-terrorist operation zone and Crimea was drawn up by Ukrainian border guards this year, Nazarenko said.

The average cost of equipping one kilometer of the border, excluding land fees, nears UAH 3.7 million, he added.

"Funds have been assigned, including UAH 108 million on October 21 and UAH 127 million on November 17. The funds have been divided: 95.7 million hryvnias were assigned for the equipment of the Ukrainian-Russian border and the administrative border with Crimea and 139.3 million hryvnias for the equipment of territories adjacent to the ATO zone," the service director said.

The total cost will stand at approximately UAH 8.362 billion.

"I have studied the experience of building the so-called wall between the United States and Mexico. It is huge but 200-300 Mexicans cross it anyway. Consequently, when we started our project we agreed that it would be a complex of engineering structures assisting in border service, protecting personnel and hindering violations of the state border. This is the first line of defense of our country," the State Border Service director said in conclusion.

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