Kyiv; August 2026: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today (Saturday - 15th August 2026) has held a meeting with the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to discuss the funding needed for Ukraine’s Defence and Security Forces for the forthcoming autumn-winter period. The meeting identified the main shortfalls and additional needs for developing the most innovative and technologically advanced types of weapons, accelerating the production of strike capabilities and new types of defensive weapons, including jet-powered interceptors.
The intelligence agencies while providing updated information on Russia’s plans, has stated that Ukraine is preparing its response and asymmetric countermeasures. “On a weekly basis, we analyse the results of long-range sanctions against Russia, as well as mid-range sanctions. The established sanctions plan is being implemented, and we are promptly adjusting priorities so that Ukraine’s capabilities fully match what is needed to achieve all the objectives of our sanctions plan”, the Head of State noted.
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Ihor Klymenko reported on the implementation of the decisions of the Staff and the National Security and Defence Council, as well as on areas requiring additional attention.
There was also a separate report from the special services on the implementation of targeted operations against collaborators in the temporarily occupied territory, including in Sevastopol, who are involved in Russian strikes against Ukraine and Ukrainians. The Ukrainian President has emphasised that accountability for collaborators is inevitable.
The Ukrainian President later while briefing the media reporters has reiterated that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Drapatyi has delivered a report identifying the steps and means needed to reinforce the Slovyansk and Kostiantynivka sectors. According to the President - in August, no fewer than 30,000 occupiers will be eliminated. The Defence Minister Khmara has apprised Zelensky about the need for drones and the technological component.
President Zelensky has further informed that Defence spending in the first half of this year (2026) was significantly higher, and the challenge remains in finding the necessary funding, and additional funding.
The technological capabilities of the Ukrainian army alongside defence operations must continue to grow. The President further added that they have been able to shift to a significantly more technologically advanced defence this winter and spring. The long-range sanctions plan is being implemented, and there are more and more of mid-range strikes as well. In fact, Ukraine remained largely successful in blocking off Russia’s south, while expanding this strategic operation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “And every level of pressure on Russia must bring that country, and its society, above all closer to the point where they want to end their war. Our sanctions against Russian oil refineries and other facilities in Russia’s oil sector, our mid-range strikes against Russian military logistics, and our operation in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov – all of this is working to limit Russia’s war potential. It is important to continue this with more active political and legal measures as well. Today, there is a Ukrainian sanctions package targeting companies and vessels that are transporting grain and other goods stolen from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We are preparing new sanctions packages against Russia’s war industry, financial chains, and intermediaries. Unfortunately, a significant number of Russian enterprises working for the war are still not under international sanctions, and this must be corrected during August and September. We will raise this with leaders at all working levels. The direct task for Ukrainian diplomacy is to ensure that, in major jurisdictions around the world, sanctions are imposed on those Russian companies and individuals, as well as those who help Russia, whose influence truly matters in terms of prolonging this war and producing Russian missiles and drones”.
The President has further asserted: “We continue working to secure air defence for Ukraine, the missiles needed to protect lives and agreements for production in Ukraine. All of this will happen. It is not easy, but all of this will happen. Throughout the war, we have already spoken many times about weapons, capabilities, and equipment that we were initially told were supposedly impossible for us to obtain. Then we heard that Ukrainians supposedly would not be able to do it because it would take decades to become capable of it. F-16s, the production of millions of drones a year, specialized missile technologies – we did it. The same will be true of anti-ballistic capabilities. The same will be true of Patriots in Ukraine. But every delay that, unfortunately, is happening at the political level simply costs lives. It is important to act quickly, to focus all our efforts on protecting lives and limiting Russia’s resources for war. The aggressor must feel that the world is there – truly there – and is acting to end the war, rather than simply watching the war continue”.
Team Maverick.
