Zelenskyy holds Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting: Intentions of occupiers are clear, we know how to respond

Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (president.gov.ua)

Another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief took place on Wednesday, May 23. It was personally attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who returned from the Kharkiv region, according to the Telegram channel of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"The first-hand report of the Army chief, who was in the Kharkiv region all these days and managed the defense of the region. The full picture of the military actions on the Kharkiv front and in the Donbas. The intentions of the occupiers are clear: to draw our forces to the north in order to advance in the east. We know how to respond," the president said.

Zelenskyy noted that the Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, also reported at the Staff meeting. He spoke about providing the army with all necessary resources and the schedules for the arrival of weapons from declared and expected aid packages from partners.

There was also an online report from the head of the State Border Guard Service, Serhii Deineko, who continues to work in border areas, regarding the situation in the Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.

"Intelligence reports: Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleh Ivashchenko. In addition to Russia's plans on the battlefield, intelligence received a lot of data on the strategy to disrupt the Peace Summit. This has become the main task of Russian diplomacy and foreign intelligence in the near future," added Zelenskyy.

Frontline situation

At the beginning of May, the Russian troops began an offensive operation in the Kharkiv region, reaching the city of Vovchansk. Meanwhile, battles continue in other directions.

According to the General Staff, during this day, Russian forces attempted to advance 53 times, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding back the enemy. Active fighting is taking place today in the Kupiansk, Kramatorsk, and Pokrovsk directions. For more details, refer to the latest summary from the General Staff.

Additionally, as previously reported by Army Chief Syrskyi, the Russian army is stuck in Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. According to him, the enemy has suffered significant losses, so they are currently deploying reserves from other directions to support active assault operations there.