Fellow Ukrainians!
I held a Technology Staff meeting. Manufacturers of our weapons – long-range weapons – were there. The key issue was production volumes. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and other government officials, our Defense and Security Forces, and all the major Ukrainian drone and missile producers took part in today’s discussion. This is the format that works best – when everyone is involved in the same conversation, everyone whom it truly concerns is involved in preparing important decisions, everyone has the chance to provide real information, and no one has the opportunity to lie. There were indeed differences in the assessments of our production potential and the actual capacity of the companies – yesterday and today I spoke in detail with our manufacturers. And afterward, all those responsible on the state’s side for contracts and for financing were present. We need to maximize production, and Ukraine’s manufacturing capacity is still far from fully utilized. We are directing Ukrainian funding so that every company capable of delivering quality results receives an order and can fully carry it out. Partners are helping us with financing, especially for drones. This is important and tangible, and I thank you for it. The task of the Ministry of Defense and all involved institutions is to ensure that manufacturers receive as many orders as they can realistically fulfill.
At today’s Staff meeting, reports were presented on our long-range needs in the near term, through the end of the year, and over the longer horizon. The accuracy of our warriors helps defend the entire country. We are planning contracts and production to ensure that our arsenals are sufficiently supplied. We are also working on exports – controlled exports of certain types of our weapons where we have a surplus – which can truly provide Ukraine with additional funds to produce the items that are in short supply and urgently needed at the front today, as well as those that have proven most effective in striking deep inside Russian territory. Agreements have already been reached on four export destinations: the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. We will be preparing the relevant deals.
We also spoke separately with the military about the operational situation, and the Commander-in-Chief delivered his report. The Dobropillia counteroffensive operation continues. I want to thank all our units involved for their effectiveness. As of the beginning of this day, our forces have liberated more than 174 square kilometers since the start of the operation, and more than 194 square kilometers have been cleared of Russian sabotage groups. Russian losses in this operation alone amount to nearly 3,200, the majority of them irrecoverable. Reports were delivered on the situation in Kupyansk, on the situation in the Kharkiv border areas, and in the areas at the junction of the Donetsk and Dnipro regions. The situation there is difficult, but it is important that Ukrainian warriors – our units – are doing everything necessary to defend their positions. Thank you for this. I also want to single out our guys today who shot down a Russian military helicopter with an FPV drone – this achievement inspired many Ukrainians. The crew of the FPV Unmanned Systems Battalion of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade – thank you, guys!
I spoke with President Sandu and congratulated her on the parliamentary election victory. These are historic elections – Moldova managed to achieve much more than simply defending itself against the destabilization Russia is fomenting. Moldova won the chance to be in Europe, and that means good economic and social prospects.
Today, I also took part in the work of the Warsaw Security Forum. And although it was online, it was quite productive. In Europe, our challenges are shared, and we must respond together. Sanctions against Russia are important – we expect the 19th package. We also need support for our defense and for building common defense tools – we need a joint defense of Europe’s eastern flank against Russian drones and missiles. A major support could also be limiting Russia’s destructive activity at sea. If tankers used by Russia are indeed being used to launch drones that are troubling Europe, then it is clearly time to close the Baltic Sea and other seas to these tankers. What matters is to act strongly. Russia understands nothing else. Russians must know where the borders are and where the line is. I thank everyone who is helping us!
Glory to Ukraine!