At a meeting of Ukraine’s top defense and security leadership, officials discussed, among other issues, that Russian forces failed to meet deadlines set by Vladimir Putin and are again postponing the dates for occupying two Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he met with key leaders across the country’s defense and security sector.
Briefings were delivered by the heads of military intelligence and the Foreign Intelligence Service.
“Kyrylo Budanov reported on the situation along threatened sectors of the front, on Russia’s military preparations, and on the timelines the occupier is counting on. At present, Russia has missed another Putin-set deadline to capture Pokrovsk and Kupyansk, and the dates have been pushed back again. Oleh Ivashchenko reported on the political situation in Russia, sentiment in their society and in the circle around the leader of the aggressor state, as well as the economic situation. Conclusions have been drawn,” Zelensky said.
He added that participants set key defense priorities for the coming weeks.
“We will also add to our defense plan for the winter months. We will continue applying our ‘long-range sanctions’ — the special services, especially the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian army have corresponding tasks. We are preparing to coordinate with key partners in diplomatic efforts, taking into account updated assessments. We are preparing measures that can ensure diplomatic activation. Thank you to everyone defending Ukraine!” the statement continued.
Earlier, BBC reported that heavy fog helped Russian troops push deeper into Pokrovsk. Weather conditions complicated the work of Ukrainian drones and weakened defenses.
Earlier, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had made significant progress in Kupyansk.
