Zelenskyy Reviews Northern Security Plans

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with regional officials and lawmakers from Ukraine’s Rivne, Volyn and Zhytomyr regions to discuss security preparedness, infrastructure repairs and education needs, according to a May 22 statement published on the president’s official website.

The meeting, held in the Rivne region, focused on intelligence signals concerning Ukraine’s northern areas and preparations for potential threats. Zelenskyy said the state would help finance fortification projects and increase troop numbers, equipment and personnel in the region. He added that related tasks had been approved by the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Officials also discussed road reconstruction and school transportation. Deputy Prime Minister and Communities and Territories Development Minister Oleksii Kuleba reported that 30% of roads in the Rivne region had been restored. Zelenskyy called for priority to be given to routes providing access to educational institutions.

Rivne communities asked for targeted state funding to complete school construction and reconstruction projects launched before Russia’s full-scale invasion, citing a shortage of student places amid a high birth rate. The meeting also covered resilience plans, expanded free school meals and increased support for veterans. Zelenskyy instructed the government to ensure that all schoolchildren receive free hot meals beginning Sept. 1.