Ukraine did build fortifications, just not right on the border. Building fortifications too close to the border would put the workers constructing them at risk and gives little notice for an incoming attack. I will concede, from reports I read that suggest, the fortifications the Ukranians do have aren't very complex and have big gaps between minefields.
The new Kharkiv front is overhyped. The Russian's aren't trying to take Kharkiv, just draw resources away from other fronts. Perhaps they are probing Ukranian defenses in anticipation of a larger attack?
I personally think Russia doesn't have the ability to take Kharkiv, it's a city of ~1million people 20miles away from the border of Russia.
Russia experienced ~20k deaths & 60k injuries taking Bakhmut, a city of ~70k right on the frontline.
For Kharkiv, Russia will have to attack with hundreds of thousands of troops and take hundreds of square miles of land around in order to siege the city... or wait years and years until the West gets tired of supporting Ukraine. I doubt Russia can support either option without facing some type of major internal destabilization.
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