On August 26, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was on a working visit to the front line. During the trip, the head of state held a meeting with the military command, at the center of which was the actual situation at the front, the needs of the units, and steps to improve the effectiveness of the Ukrainian forces. As a result of the meeting, specific tasks were set to strengthen the defense of two key regions — Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts — and personnel and organizational decisions regarding the Donbas were adopted.
Who attended the meeting
The expanded session at the front was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces Oleksandr Paltush (note: per source, Oleg Apostol), Commander of the Special Operations Forces Robert Broidy, Commander of the 3rd Army Corps Andriy Biletsky, Commander of the 1st Corps of the National Guard "Azov" Denys Prokopenko, as well as the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov. This lineup underscores that the discussion was conducted simultaneously at the level of strategic command, operational corps, and regional military administration.
Priority — the defense of Zaporizhzhia
The main focus of the meeting was the situation in Zaporizhzhia and the directions on which the safety of other cities and communities depends. Following the discussion, Zelensky ordered the defense of the city and the region to be strengthened, including on those sections of the front where the defense directly affects the resilience of neighboring settlements. The President emphasized the need to strengthen Ukrainian positions and thanked everyone who works for the country.
Two groupings in the Donbas
A separate decision concerns the defense of Donetsk region. As Zelensky announced, two groupings will be created in the region to improve the effectiveness of the defense, to be commanded by Andriy Biletsky and Denys Prokopenko. Thus, command over specific defensive formations in the Donbas is assigned to the heads of the active corps, which should speed up decision-making at the tactical level.
Unit needs on the Oleksandrivka direction
As part of the visit, Zelensky, together with the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Mykhailo Drapatyi, visited the Oleksandrivka direction, where he met with the troops and discussed their requests. In particular, the discussion covered supplying the units with drones, long-range artillery, weapons, and equipment. These needs were included in the meeting's agenda as fundamental for improving the combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian forces at the front line.
