Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the command post of the 65th Mechanized Brigade, which is part of the 17th Corps and is defending the Orikhiv sector.
The head of state reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
“Command post of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade ‘Velykyi Luh.’ I have the honor of being here today to thank the warriors for their service and to present them with awards,” Zelensky said.
He noted that the brigade, now part of the 17th Corps, is defending the Orikhiv direction. Zelensky said he had listened to a report on the operational situation in this sector, enemy activity, and losses among the occupiers. He also spoke with the military about decisions required to strengthen the defense of the Orikhiv sector – staffing, certain types of weapons and equipment, including light-armored vehicles, and electronic warfare systems.
According to Zelensky, special attention was given to the development of unmanned systems units and scaling up the brigade’s successful experience in using ground robotic platforms to evacuate the wounded, along with the steps needed to achieve this.
While in the Zaporizhzhia region, Zelensky also met with soldiers of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade from the Zakarpattia region and presented them with state awards.
“Warriors of the 128th Zakarpattia Separate Mountain Assault Brigade are defending the Stepnohirsk area in the Zaporizhzhia region. Today, I met with the defenders, spoke with them, and presented state awards,” Zelensky wrote.
During the meeting, particular attention was paid to combat activities in the sector, the recent increase in assault actions by the occupiers, including enemy attempts to bypass Ukrainian fortifications by taking advantage of the local terrain. The discussion also covered the procurement of drones by the brigades using their own funds or electronic bonus points within the “Army of Drones. Bonus” program, and the use of Vampire drones.
Photo credit: Office of the President of Ukraine