fortification

“Hamas’s internal fortifications, they remain as they were,” he said.

These new fortifications carved in the Ukrainian dirt chart a deteriorating situation here in Donetsk.

But Ukraine is estimated to have held onto about 30% of Donetsk, including several key cities and fortifications, at a cost of tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives.

"If we withdraw from the Donbas today - our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control - we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive," he said.

Under his leadership - and with large sums of government money - Governor Starovoit had launched the construction of defensive fortifications along the border.