Address by the President of Ukraine
On February 19, 2026—the 1,457th day of the war—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the nation's negotiation team has returned to Kyiv for a critical diplomatic strategy session. This development comes as Ukraine continues to seek international support for its defense and future security. Zelenskyy stated he will hold detailed talks with the delegation the day after his address, with the meeting set to establish the framework for upcoming discussions with key partners, including the United States, European nations, and Russia.
Crackdown on Organized Crime
In the same address, Zelenskyy highlighted a major law enforcement operation targeting organized crime. The operation involved over 500 searches and led to the detention of nearly 100 individuals. Authorities dismantled 34 drug laboratories and 70 storage facilities. To coordinate the ongoing fight against crime, a new coordination center will be established, to be headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. Regional leaders, including the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, will also be involved in the center's work.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the soldiers of the Omega Special Operations Center of the National Guard for their actions on the Pokrovsk front. He also commended police officers in various Ukrainian cities—Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Konotop, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Mykolaiv region, and Odesa—for their heroism in rescuing people following Russian strikes.
This news underscores the Ukrainian government's dual focus on international diplomacy and domestic security amid the prolonged conflict. The creation of a high-level coordination center led by the First Deputy Prime Minister signals a systemic and serious approach to dismantling criminal networks within the country.