Zelensky chairs Staff meeting on electronic warfare, sanctions, and long-range drones
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on October 6, focusing on electronic warfare (EW) capabilities against Russian Shahed drones, new sanctions targeting Russia's weapons supply chain, and plans for long-range drone production. Zelensky said the main criterion is that Ukraine must have the ability to mirror-respond to Russian strikes.
Key points
- Zelensky held the Staff meeting on October 6 and reported on it via social media.
- He heard detailed reports on EW systems, including their use to protect infrastructure.
- Zelensky said EW accounts for a significant share of Russian Shahed neutralization.
- Additional tasks were set for the Armed Forces and manufacturers to scale up the most effective EW approaches against Shaheds.
- HUR briefed the Staff on Russian technological priorities for this year and next, and on component supplies to Russia for weapons production.
- New sanctions packages will be prepared from HUR proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Security and Defense Council.
- The meeting defined main tasks for supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range drones for the next year.
- Zelensky stated the main criterion is that Ukraine must have the ability to mirror-respond to Russian strikes.
Why it matters
The meeting brings together three strands of Ukraine's response to intensified Russian air strikes — domestic EW production, intelligence-driven sanctions on Russia's supply chain, and long-range drone capacity — and frames them under a single doctrinal principle articulated by Zelensky: that Ukraine must be able to mirror-respond to Russian strikes. It signals an integrated industrial, intelligence, and military policy package rather than separate initiatives.
What happened
On October 6, President Volodymyr Zelensky chaired a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff. He heard detailed reports on the capabilities of electronic warfare systems and their use to protect infrastructure, and said EW accounts for a significant share of the neutralization of Russian Shahed drones. Additional tasks were set for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and manufacturers to scale up the most effective EW approaches against Shaheds.
The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) briefed the Staff on Russian technological priorities for this year and next, and on the supply of critical components and equipment to Russia for weapons production. New sanctions packages will be prepared based on HUR's proposals, to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Security and Defense Council, with Ukraine working on synchronizing sanctions within partner jurisdictions.
The meeting also defined the main tasks for supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range drones for the next year. Zelensky framed the effort with a stated main criterion: Ukraine must have the ability to mirror-respond to Russian strikes.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the time horizon covered by HUR's report on Russian technological priorities. Radio Liberty describes it as covering 2026 and 2027, while other sources frame the timeframe as 'this year and next year.'
Background
The previous Staff meeting was held on September 25 and focused on interceptor testing against Russian jet-powered Shaheds. On September 19, Zelensky reported a 'good result' from SBU military counterintelligence in countering jet-powered Shaheds using a new interceptor drone. In a Reuters interview published on October 3, Zelensky said Ukraine would escalate strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow's new air-strike campaign aimed at forcing people to leave Kyiv and other cities, while stressing Ukraine would not indiscriminately strike civilian infrastructure.