Kharkiv Front Gets New Fortification Prototype Built for FPV Drone Threat and Full Autonomy

Ukraine’s Association of Developers said it has presented a field-tested engineering and construction case for military fortifications built on the Kharkiv axis, including underground shelters and about 2 kilometers of connecting routes now in use, according to the association on January 27. 

The association first publicly outlined the project during a panel discussion titled “Fortifications as an engineering case: architecture, planning, solutions,” held as part of the Ukrainian Building Awards 2025 program in Kyiv. 

Yevhen Favorov, the association’s head, said the work began after troops approached the group with what he described as a vague request that ultimately required a detailed plan.

“We received a request in two lines, which said: 2 km of connecting routes, 12 underground corrugated-steel fortification structures,” Favorov was quoted as saying, adding that it was impossible to deliver that scale of work from a brief outline alone. 

The association said it acted as a project office—sourcing contractors, comparing commercial offers, optimizing costs, and involving specialists to digitize solutions—before producing a project document with plans and engineering calculations and requirements for ventilation, waterproofing, concealment, and autonomy, while omitting tactical details from the public version.

Andriy Harbuziuk, acting head of the civil-military cooperation section of the “Burevii” brigade, was quoted as saying older standards did not account for widespread FPV drone use or the need for full autonomy and concealment, and that sharing systematically compiled lessons across units “would save many lives.” 

Ukraine has accelerated the construction of trenches, anti-tank ditches, and other defensive fortifications as it tries to slow Russian advances and protect border regions and frontline positions, with Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal saying the government allocated $509 million for fortifications and border defenses and pledged additional funding.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Ukraine showcased longer-range FPV drone operations using fiber-optic control links intended to extend the effective engagement area and reduce vulnerability to electronic warfare.

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