Zelenskyy continues meetings with military command, including commander of Joint Forces
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Staff's Deputy Chief Volodymyr Horbatiuk and Oleh Apostol, Commander of the Airborne Assault Forces.
Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda
Details: This is the third day of such meetings, against the backdrop of protests demanding the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and the reinstatement of former minister of defence Mykhailo Fedorov.
Drapatyi briefed the president on the situation on the fronts in Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.
They also discussed the fulfilment of agreements with partners and supplies for defence forces. Zelenskyy named strengthening air defence and the full fulfilment of contracts for the production of all types of drones as the main priorities.
Combat operations by the Airborne Assault Forces on the Oleksandrivka front, the needs of corps and brigades and the elimination of supply shortfalls were also discussed separately.
Background:
- Against the backdrop of protests demanding the dismissal of Syrskyi, commanders of the Naval Forces and Airborne Assault Forces made posts in support of the military leadership.
- Protests demanding the reinstatement of Fedorov as minister of defence and Syrskyi's dismissal took place in Kyiv and other cities on 16, 17 and 18 July. A third day of protests was announced in Kyiv for the evening of 18 July.
- Zelenskyy heard reports from combat commanders of the defence forces and announced a special Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting amid the decision to replace the minister of defence.
- Zelenskyy spoke for a second consecutive day with the commanders of corps fighting on the most intense sections of the front.
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