President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has been strengthening air defenses around Moscow in recent weeks by redeploying systems from other regions of the country. According to him, this shows the Kremlin is concerned about the security of the military parade in the Russian capital.
Zelenskyy made the statement following a report from HUR chief Oleh Ivashchenko.
“We see that in recent weeks additional layers of air defense have been deployed around Moscow through the large-scale transfer of air defense systems from Russian regions. This indicates that the Russian leadership is not preparing for a ceasefire, despite all the statements made, and cares more about its parade in Moscow than about the rest of Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, he noted that Ukraine sees additional opportunities for what he described as “long-range sanctions,” and corresponding priorities are being determined.
The president also said Ukrainian intelligence obtained documents outlining Russia’s plans for occupied territories in southern Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, occupation authorities intend to extract and remove valuable resources from at least 18 deposits, including titanium, lithium, graphite and other minerals.
Separately, Zelenskyy said losses to the Russian economy from Ukrainian long-range strikes and sanctions pressure are growing. He added that many regional budgets in Russia are effectively approaching bankruptcy.
The president also stressed that Ukraine continues to insist on real diplomacy and a ceasefire as the basis for achieving peace.
