Following a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the positions of Ukrainian troops at the front remain the strongest in a long time of the full-scale war. According to him, this year Ukrainian forces are continuing active defense and gradually pushing back the enemy, while Russian losses have noticeably increased in recent months. The head of state emphasized that the achieved result would be even more stable if the support of international partners remained at its previous level.
Assessment of the frontline situation
During the report at the Staff meeting, according to Zelensky, the Ukrainian military is holding back the enemy's attempts to advance and penetrate Ukrainian territory. The president cited an assessment of losses: in the Dobropillia area alone, according to his data, about two hundred Russian military personnel die daily, and the number of seriously wounded, he says, is also large. At the same time, Zelensky acknowledged that in certain sectors of the front, Russian troops outnumber Ukrainian ones by six to eight times, but, according to his assertion, this does not prevent achieving the necessary results.
Reliance on air defense support
The president separately focused on the issue of air defense. He stated that provided the strong support of partners continues — in particular, the supply of Patriot systems and other air defense equipment — Ukraine would find itself in "a completely different" and "significantly better position." Thus, Zelensky effectively linked the further dynamics at the front with the volume and timeliness of Western assistance in the field of air defense.
Special operation Veles
On the same day, Zelensky announced the execution of special operation Veles, which, according to him, is being carried out by the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Khartia." According to the president's statement, the Ukrainian military advanced underground by more than 15 kilometers, destroyed more than a hundred Russian servicemen, and captured more than thirty more people. These figures were announced by the Kyiv side and have not been confirmed by independent sources.
Gratitude to units
Concluding his address, Zelensky thanked the units performing combat missions, in particular the 12th Special Purpose Brigade "Azov" of the National Guard, the 1st Presidential Brigade "Bureviy," and the "Phoenix" border detachment of the State Border Guard Service. He noted that, in his estimation, these formations are using weapons with maximum efficiency and fully accomplishing their assigned tasks.
