Ukrainian President Zelenskyj wants to modernize the armed forces to fight the Russian invasion. He has announced new plans to do so.
After more than two years of fighting against the Russian war of aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a reduction in bureaucracy in the military. “We are preparing new, completely modern solutions for our fighters, which will definitely eliminate a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork in the units,” Zelensky said in his evening video message broadcast in Kyiv. The innovative decisions would soon be presented to the public, he said after a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Defense. He did not provide any details.
Zelensky said he was also briefed on the situation at the front by the commander-in-chief, Olexander Syrsky. The heaviest fighting was around Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. A stronger response against the Russian occupiers was needed there, Zelensky said. The soldiers there were holding out despite the Russian attacks and thus ensuring protection in the entire east of the country. Defense efforts were not being relaxed in the Kharkiv region and other parts either.
Zelensky also reported that he had discussed the construction of new corvettes for Ukraine with Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov.
Previously, a second corvette-type warship was launched in Turkey. “We know like no one else how important security is, and this corvette will be a pledge of security for our entire common region,” said Ukrainian President’s wife Olena Zelenska at the ceremony in Istanbul, according to a statement.
The ship, christened “Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky” in March, follows the corvette named “Hetman Ivan Mazepa”, which was launched in October 2022. Ukraine is currently conducting test runs with the ship.
Both corvettes were ordered in 2020 before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The coastal defense ships, equipped with modern stealth technology, were ordered from Turkey because Ukraine’s own shipbuilding is too backward. Originally, the final construction was to take place in Ukrainian shipyards. However, due to the war, this is currently not possible. Defense Minister Umyerov and Fleet Commander Oleksiy Neyishpapa also attended the event to mark the launch of the corvette.
The Ukrainian fleet recently only had smaller ships and boats. Its flagship, the frigate “Hetman Sahajdachnyj”, was sunk off the port city of Mykolaiv shortly after the start of the war – it was not supposed to fall into the hands of the Russian troops during the then-feared advance on the city. In 2022, fighting took place just a few kilometers from the city limits. However, the importance of warships has declined significantly due to the sea drones used by the Ukrainian Navy against the Russian fleet.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for more than two years. The fighting is often carried out in the waters of the Black Sea. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has already suffered numerous losses.
