Zelenskyy after Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters meeting: Russia is attempting to divide Ukraine along Dnipro River by striking bridges
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters, at which the situation on the front line and the protection of frontline regions from Russian attacks on bridges and the power grid were discussed. Separately, he called on the Verkhovna Rada to support the draft laws this plenary week, in particular those concerning Ukraine’s progress towards OECD membership.
Zelenskyy spoke about this in an evening address, according to Censor.NET.
Headquarters: the front line and negotiating positions
According to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters on the positions of Ukrainian troops. Zelenskyy believes that the military is currently strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position:
"Every mission that is fully accomplished, every defensive operation that strengthens Ukraine and yields results, strengthens Ukraine, and above all strengthens our position in the negotiations."
He also stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are achieving "record results in eliminating the Russian occupiers", whilst Russia’s losses on the front line, he said, are at record levels — both on a daily and weekly basis. The President added that Ukraine’s long-range sanctions are also having an effect:
"We are responding to Russia’s war in a perfectly just manner and demonstrating that the war must be brought to an end. Russia is capable of doing this — of ending its own war. It is important that America persuades Russia of precisely this."
Strikes on bridges and the power grid
Also present at the headquarters were representatives from frontline regions: Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipro, Sumy and Donetsk Oblast, as well as the Mayor of Kyiv, key government officials and military commanders.
According to Zelenskyy, they discussed in detail the challenges posed by the Russian operation against Ukrainian bridges and the power grid:
"Russia is trying to divide Ukraine along the Dnipro and make life as difficult as possible for people, and for our cities and villages."
The President stated that defensive measures are updated weekly and emphasised that all levels of government must act effectively. The Cabinet of Ministers, he said, is ready to resolve issues that have not been resolved at local level and to allocate state resources where necessary:
"Throughout this war, this is exactly how we have been operating — we make up for shortfalls, we source and supply the necessary items: weapons first and foremost, equipment, and essential resources, particularly energy resources. The central government always provides assistance, and it is essential that at the local and regional levels, the measures we have agreed upon and which are set out in all the resilience plans are implemented."
The Verkhovna Rada’s plenary week
- Zelenskyy reminded that this week is a plenary week in the Verkhovna Rada. On the agenda are draft laws important for European integration, state funding and the fight against corruption.
- They will also consider a bill proposed by the President himself, which is intended to ensure Ukraine’s progress towards accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
"This is a group of the strongest countries, both economically and socially, and Ukraine must partner with precisely such states and uphold precisely such principles. I ask MPs to be productive and to support the draft laws on the agenda for this week," added the Head of State.
