On 26 October, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signed Decree No. 1067/2026, thereby enacting the decision of the National Security and Defence Council regarding the preparation of Ukrainian towns and cities for circular defence. The document provides for the construction of a belt of engineering barriers to strengthen the defensive capabilities of populated areas. The NSDC adopted the relevant decision on 25 September, but the details of its implementation remain classified, as the annex to the decree is marked «For official use only».
- On 26 October, Zelenskyy enacted the National Security and Defence Council’s decision on the perimeter defence of Ukrainian cities.
- The document provides for the construction of a belt of engineering barriers to protect populated areas.
- The NSDC resolution was adopted on 25 September 2026.
- The specific towns, dates and list of defence measures are not being disclosed.
What does the National Security and Defence Council’s decision on urban defence entail?
According to the presidential decree that has been published, the decision concerns the construction of engineering barriers and the establishment of mechanisms for their implementation to ensure an adequate level of defence for towns and cities.
We are talking about the organisation of a circular defence — an approach whereby a settlement is prepared for potential threats from various directions. Engineering barriers are one element of such a defence and are designed to hinder the enemy’s advance.
In defence practice, engineering obstacles may include anti-tank barriers, trenches, wire entanglements and other defensive structures. However, the public section of the decree does not specify exactly which structures are planned to be erected under the new measure NSDC.
Nor does the document contain a list of towns where the relevant work is to be carried out. It would therefore be premature to claim that specific towns are being prepared for defence on the basis of this decree.
Which Ukrainian cities will be prepared for a circular defence?
Decree No. 1067/2026 It does not specify, in publicly available information, exactly which Ukrainian cities will be covered by the defence measures. Nor is it stated whether this refers exclusively to settlements near the front line or to a broader defence system.
It is important to note that the document does not contain any public statement regarding an imminent threat of an attack on a specific city. Its focus is on the organisation of engineering barriers and defence mechanisms.
Under the decree, responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the decision has been entrusted to the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
The NSDC decision itself was adopted on 25 September 2026, whilst the presidential decree bringing it into force was signed on 26 October. The document comes into force on the date of its publication.
Details of the defence measures remain confidential
The annex to the presidential decree bears the classification «For official use only». This means that the specific mechanisms for implementing the decision have not been made public.
It is not currently possible to determine, from the publicly available section of the document, the scope of the forthcoming works, the sources of funding, the construction timetable or the list of contractors responsible.
At the same time, on that very day, 26 October, Zelenskyy signed another decree — No. 1066/2026 — bringing into force the NSDC’s decision to update Ukraine’s National Security Strategy.
Thus, the two decisions relate to different areas of defence policy: the review of the national security strategy and the organisation of engineering defences for cities.
