Zelensky visits front-line troops, discusses air defence with the Finnish president

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he visited Ukrainian troops on the front line in the east of the country, in the Lyman area of the Donetsk region, and held a phone call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on strengthening air defence after new Russian attacks. Zelenskyy said he visited the command post of the 66th Mechanised Brigade in the Lyman area, in the Donetsk region, where he discussed the needs and missions of the Ukrainian forces and presented state awards. According to the Ukrainian president, the brigade, in cooperation with other units of the Third Army Corps, has brought more than 125 square kilometres of territory back under Ukrainian control during Operation Vivaldi. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he discussed with the Finnish president ways to strengthen Ukraine’s defence, including the use of F-16 fighter jets and air defence systems. Russian attacks overnight caused at least four casualties in Kyiv and the surrounding region, according to the Ukrainian authorities. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported three casualties in the capital, while the emergency services announced the death of a child in Vyshhorod. Zelenskyy said air-raid alarms continued for hours and that the attacks included Shahed drones and ballistic missiles. According to him, the strikes have also affected the country’s economic activity.