Europe | Digging in

Ukraine is in a race against time to fortify its front line

But it is suffering from a shortage of munitions and manpower

Ukrainian tank men prepare BWP infantry fighting vehicle for combat
Photograph: Getty Images

EARLIER THIS year, a common view was that the war in Ukraine was settling into a stalemate. That now seems optimistic. There is an alarming possibility that a big new Russian push in the next few months could punch through Ukraine’s defences and deep into the country.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Digging in”

From the March 30th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Europe

The “Trumpnado”, a wave shaped like Donald Trump's profile, crushing a boat with a European flag.

Can the good ship Europe weather the Trumpnado?

Tossed by political storms, the continent must dodge a new threat

Demonstrators march, shouting slogans against tourists in Barcelona

Spain’s proposed house tax on foreigners will not fix its shortage

Pedro Sánchez will need the opposition’s help to increase supply


Men from Ukraine’s 155th army brigade

A French-sponsored Ukrainian army brigade has been badly botched

The scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Ukraine’s military command


A TV dramatisation of Mussolini’s life inflames Italy

With Giorgia Meloni in power, the fascist past is more relevant than ever

France’s new prime minister is trying to court the left

François Bayrou gambles with Emmanuel Macron’s economic legacy

How the AfD got its swagger back

Germany’s hard-right party is gaining support even as it radicalises