Ukraine is reinforcing air defenses, drone protection systems and fortifications near its northern border as Russian threats remain unchanged more than three years into the full-scale war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, May 21. Following a meeting with local leaders from the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, Zelensky said Ukrainian officials discussed preparations along the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction, which Russian forces used during the early phase of the February 2022 invasion.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The threats that existed in the first days of the full-scale war have not decreased even now,” Zelensky said in a statement published on Telegram. “Everyone understands perfectly well that Ukraine cannot allow even one percent of the risks for our people that existed back then, in February 2022,” he added. According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has been tasked with strengthening air defense systems and anti-drone protection in the north of the country, as well as improving defensive fortifications and troop preparedness. He said implementation of Ukraine’s “resilience plans” and the reinforcement of defensive positions reduce the chances of a renewed escalation from the north. Zelensky also said officials discussed repairs to local roads, describing logistics as “very important,” and addressed support for workers at the Crnobyl Nuclear Power Plant. According to the president, Ukraine’s finance minister promised decisions on salary-related issues for plant employees in June.