At the command post of the 20th Army Corps, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with service members carrying out tasks to liberate the temporarily occupied territory of the Dnipro region.
The commander of the 20th Army Corps, Sviatoslav Zaiits, reported on the operational situation in the line of defense.
The Head of State discussed urgent issues with the commanders of all brigades and separate battalions of the corps, in particular strengthening the capabilities of the unmanned systems forces within this formation. The focus was primarily on mid-range strike capabilities. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this issue will be worked on. The service members also outlined the need for specific types of drones and for increasing the number of unmanned ground vehicles.
They also held detailed discussions on increasing additional funding for combat battalions. At present, this amounts to 7 million hryvnias per battalion performing combat tasks.
Brigade and battalion commanders also raised the issue of greater flexibility in choosing equipment for different tasks – from quad bikes to heavy armored vehicles. Possible solutions to ensure this were discussed. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the military leadership would work on developing new approaches.
The Head of State thanked the warriors for their service, awarded them the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I and III class, “For Courage,” II–III class, and of Danylo Halytskyi, and conferred the rank of brigadier general on the commander of the 20th Army Corps, Sviatoslav Zaiits. Among the awardees were two Colombian volunteers who have been helping to counter Russian aggression and defend Ukraine as members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2025. They were honored for their significant contributions to the defense of our country, the destruction of enemy forces, and the saving of their brothers-in-arms’ lives. On November 28, 2025, both volunteer warriors took part in the evacuation of a severely wounded defender from the battlefield. Despite poor visibility, enemy fire, and Russian assault actions, they covered 10 kilometers on foot as a group to assist their brother-in-arms and evacuate him.
“Today, I have the honor to be here with our team, together with the Commander-in-Chief, and to award our fighters, to award you. Well done for standing strong! We are all watching you – the entire state is watching you, all countries are watching the Ukrainian army, the Armed Forces, and our Defense Forces. Absolutely everyone is proud of you and must support you to the fullest,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
