This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with military leadership and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to discuss the situation on key fronts. The event was attended by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov. The main focus was on defense in the Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and Zaporizhzhia directions, as well as events in Kharkiv and along the Sumy region border.
Situation on the Front and Actions of Ukrainian Forces
According to Zelensky, on all key sections of the front, the enemy is attempting to develop offensive actions; however, these attempts by the Russian army are not yielding the expected results. Ukrainian units, thanks to their resilience and coordinated actions, are effectively holding back the enemy and actively defending. The president emphasized that the Russian army has “significantly fallen short of the expectations of its command for this summer,” while Ukrainian forces continue to inflict losses on the occupiers and are working to shift combat operations onto Russian territory.
“We see the intentions and attempts of the enemy to develop offensive actions, and it is important that each such attempt falters due to the resilience of our units and active defense. The Russian army has significantly fallen short of the expectations of its command for this summer. Our units will continue to destroy the occupier and do everything to bring the war onto Russian territory,” the president stated.
Zelensky also reported that the Ukrainian command is preparing for new long-range strikes against the enemy and plans to respond harshly to every shelling of Ukrainian cities. In particular, he mentioned the successful elimination of Russian military personnel involved in the death of a one-year-old child in Kherson region.
Defense Production and International Support
During the meeting, the preparation for the visit of U.S. President’s representative Keith Kellogg and issues of cooperation with international partners regarding the supply of modern weapons were discussed separately. Significant attention was given to scaling up joint production of defense products. According to the president, today about 40% of the weapons needed by the Ukrainian army are produced domestically, and the state intends to significantly increase this figure, enhancing defense independence. Necessary regulatory, financial, and personnel changes will be implemented for this purpose.
Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov emphasized in a recent interview that Russia will not be able to fully capture the Donetsk region by the end of 2025. According to the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, as of July 1, 2025, approximately 66.7% of the region’s territory remains under temporary occupation. This territory includes 837 populated localities, of which 447 were occupied back in 2014.