Zelenskyy holds General HQ meeting, cites protecting Kharkiv from enemy bombardment as top priority

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a General Headquarters meeting. The main issue remains Kharkiv, in particular: protecting the city from Russian strikes.

According to Zelenskyy, the possibility of strengthening Ukrainian air defenses around the city and means of radio-electronic warfare in Kharkiv Oblast is also an important issue.

The president stressed that there will be separate tasks for Ukrainian diplomats to work with partners for new air defense systems for Ukraine.

"I am grateful to everyone who, at the central level and in Kharkiv itself, in Kharkiv Oblast, is working as actively as possible to restore the opportunity for people to live normally," the head of state said.

Zelenskyy also heard military reports on the physical protection of energy facilities and on the effectiveness of shooting down drones and missiles.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, also presented information about the situation on the main combat fronts, Zelenskyy said.

"We are holding our positions. The main thing now is effective logistics. Intelligence and special services are working on new steps to reduce Russia's war potential," he added.

Russia recently returned to active attacks on Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. Almost the entire energy infrastructure there has been destroyed.

On April 5, in an interview with Politico, the head of the President's Office said that Russia is preparing for a major offensive, which is why it has been striking Ukraine for the past three weeks.

The next day, the presidency commented on the statement regarding massive Russian attacks as "preparation for an attack on Kharkiv". Zelenskyy's office stressed that the statement did not refer to an attack on the city. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from the point of view of defense lines and troops, Kharkiv is protected from Russian troops.