Zelenskyy says Ukraine to respond to Russian attacks with ‘logical’ actions

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he held a Staff meeting to review the situation along the front line, warning that Kyiv will respond “in a fully logical way” if Russia does not commit seriously to negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year war.

"We reviewed the situation at the front, across all sectors, in detail," Zelenskyy said in a statement.

He said Russian forces have significantly increased the intensity of their attacks in recent weeks, claiming that this has also led to higher Russian losses.

"We will continue to maintain this dynamic – if the Russians do not commit with 100% seriousness to the negotiation process and direct their resources toward prolonging and expanding the war, we will respond in a fully logical way – with our actions in response," he said.

Zelenskyy said the meeting also included briefings on "our deep strikes," as well as on the needs and provisioning of the defense forces.

He said the state of air defense, including air defense coverage of the front and our regions, particularly the Odesa region, was also discussed.

Meanwhile, he added, several candidates for the position of commander of the Air Command South have been presented and decisions are being made.​​​​​​​

Earlier in the day, Russian authorities said a car bomb explosion in southern Moscow killed Lt. Gen. ⁠Fanil Sarvarov, head of operational training at the Russian General Staff.

There has been no direct comment from Kyiv regarding the killing.