MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. The armed forces of Ukraine are fortifying the Odessa Region in southern Ukraine for all-round defense, Denis Nosikov, head of the regional department of the South territorial defense forces, said.

"We are currently very seriously preparing the city of Odessa for all-round defense. We are preparing the entire Odessa Region for comprehensive defense," he said in an interview with the Ukrainian YouTube channel Shtabkvartira.

Nosikov noted that various fortifications are being constructed around the region, including anti-tank ditches, traps, and pitfalls. The region is also currently actively building up volunteer units from territorial communities. According to Nosikov, students and pensioners are recruited to carry out combat missions; they "have the right to carry and operate weapons."