Zelenskyy outlines military's most urgent demand on frontlines
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (facebook.com)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, where officials discussed the supply of unmanned ground vehicles and efforts to strengthen protection against ballistic missiles, according to Zelenskyy's post on X.
According to the head of state, the unmanned ground vehicles remain one of the most urgent requests from the Defense Forces. Contracts have already been signed for 25,000 such systems — twice as many as last year.
At the same time, the President stressed that this is only the starting point and that the number of systems will be significantly increased.
"I am grateful to all manufacturers who are ensuring timely fulfillment of contracts, and to every unit and all commanders who are scaling up the use of UGVs," Zelenskyy said.
He instructed the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense to conduct monthly reviews of the actual demand for these systems and the level of their supply.
The meeting also addressed protection against ballistic threats. This included the supply of missiles for anti-ballistic systems and the implementation of agreements with partners.
"It is important that in May, deliveries are no less than what has already been committed by partners – this is a direct task for our diplomats and military command," the President emphasized.
Alternative missile defense solutions were also discussed, including those available on the global market as well as Ukrainian developments.
Ukraine boosts air defense
Strengthening air defense remains one of Ukraine’s top priorities amid ongoing missile threats.
Earlier, Zelenskyy warned of a critical shortage of Patriot systems and said that the demand for weapons would only grow if the war drags on.
Ahead of the latest Ramstein meeting, Ukraine also agreed with Belgium and Spain to strengthen air defense and expand aviation support for the Ukrainian Air Force.
In addition, Ukraine and Germany are preparing joint projects in the field of air defense, including the development and use of advanced laser weapons. The sides have also agreed on a €4 billion cooperation package that includes the transfer of several hundred missiles for Patriot systems to Ukraine.
