President honors soldiers of 80th Air Assault Brigade

He said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"At the command post of the 2nd Air Assault Battalion of the 80th Separate Galician Air Assault Brigade, I presented state awards to our warriors. Thank you for your service, for defending Ukraine and our people. Thank you for the Kursk operation and your very courageous actions," Zelensky said.

He added that he had an "open and substantive" conversation with commanders about the current operational situation in the unit's area of responsibility, existing challenges, and possible solutions. They also discussed the use of unmanned systems, countering Russian drone operators, next-generation weapons, and ensuring the brigade has the necessary resources to produce its own drones, including explosives, fiber optic cable, and other critical components.

"There is also a focus on the brigade's needs for anti-personnel mines, pickup trucks, and ATVs. I've already instructed the Staff [of the Supreme Comander-in-Chief] to prepare a clear action plan that will allow brigades to purchase pickups directly, using the same mechanism already in place for drones. This must be implemented swiftly,” Zelensky said.