--- title: "Zelensky at the Front: Meeting with the AFU Command and New Tasks for the Defense of Zaporizhzhia and the Donbas" description: "On August 26, during his visit to the front, Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with the AFU command and ordered the defense of Zaporizhzhia to be strengthened, while in the Donbas two groupings under the command of Biletsky and Prokopenko are to be created." date: 2026-08-26T15:16:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyi-front-meeting-defense-zaporizhzhia-donbas tags: [ukraine-war, volodymyr-zelensky, afu, zaporizhzhia, donbas, frontline] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelensky at the Front: Meeting with the AFU Command and New Tasks for the Defense of Zaporizhzhia and the Donbas ![Volodymyr Zelensky in his office at a laptop with the Ukrainian flag ahead of a meeting with the Armed Forces command on defending Zaporizhzhia and Donbas](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/26/zelenskyi-soveshchanie-front-oborona-zaporozhya-i-donbassa/zelenskyi-soveshchanie-front-oborona-zaporozhya-i-donbassa-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - At the front, Zelensky held a meeting with the AFU command and set tasks to strengthen the defense of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts. - The defense of Zaporizhzhia is to be strengthened, including on the directions on which the safety of other cities and communities depends. - Two groupings are to be created in the Donbas, to be commanded by Andriy Biletsky and Denys Prokopenko. - On the Oleksandrivka direction, the troops' needs for drones, long-range artillery, weapons, and equipment were discussed. 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. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Zelensky ordered the defense of Zaporizhzhia and the region to be strengthened during his trip to the front](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zelenskiy-pid-chas-poyizdki-front-doruchiv-1787757208.html) - Подтверждает факт визита, совещания и поручения по усилению обороны Запорожья. - [Zelensky held a meeting on security issues and ordered the defense of Zaporizhzhia and ... to be strengthened](https://unn.ua/ru/news/zelenskii-sobral-soveshchanie-po-voprosam-bezopasnosti-i-poruchil-usilit-oboronu-zaporozhya-i-klyuchevikh-napravlenii) - Совпадает по сути совещания и решениям по обороне. - [Zelensky held a meeting with AFU commanders: what they discussed](https://glavred.info/ukraine/zelenskiy-provel-soveshchanie-s-komandirami-vsu-o-chem-oni-govorili-10781801.html) - Детализирует повестку совещания и состав участников. - [Situation at the front: Zelensky held a meeting with the corps commanders](https://www.ostro.org/ru/news/sytuatsyya-na-fronte-zelenskyj-provel-soveshhanye-s-komandyramy-korpusov-i562103) - Подтверждает участие командиров корпусов и решения по Донбассу. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who attended the meeting at the front on August 26? **A:** The meeting was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces 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, and the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov. ### Q: What decision was made regarding the defense of the Donbas? **A:** According to Zelensky, two groupings will be created in the Donbas, to be commanded by Andriy Biletsky and Denys Prokopenko. ### Q: What were the troops' needs discussed on the Oleksandrivka direction? **A:** The discussion covered supplying the units with drones, long-range artillery, weapons, and equipment.