Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits Dnipro, discusses battlefield situation

AFP

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Dnipro in southeastern Ukraine on Thursday to discuss the situation on the battlefield, supplies for troops and how to strengthen air defences.

"We started the working day in Dnipro," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app under video footage of him leading a meeting with military commanders and government officials.

"As always, we pay close attention to the supply of ammunition to our troops. The efficiency of using the existing air defence systems and reinforcing the sky shield, taking into account supplies from partners," he said.

The city of Dnipro, an important economic centre in southeastern Ukraine, is not far from the front line that stretches from Kherson in the south, through the Donbas region and further north to the Kharkiv region.

The city had a pre-war population of about 1 million people, and has become a logistical and humanitarian hub for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Zelenskiy said he discussed a review of conscription offices across the country that was launched after multiple allegations of corruption and complaints about the mobilisation process.

"The comprehensive inspection... is coming to an end. Eleven regions are under special control," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said Russian forces had struck port infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa in an overnight missile attack, killing a security guard and damaging a cargo terminal.

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