Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited soldiers on Sunday fighting in the Dnipro and Zaporizhzhya sections of the war's front line, where he was briefed on the situation.
The Russian military has set its sights on the industrial city of Dnipro in the south-east of the country as one of the war's "main targets," Zelensky said.
In order to protect the region's economic potential, air defences are being beefed up there. "We are working on expanding our capabilities for launching missiles and drones," he said.
Zelensky also visited Zaporizhzhya, where Zelensky said air defence and electronic warfare capabilities also need to be strengthened.
This would better protect critical infrastructure, like electricity and water supplies, he said, adding that the aim is was "protect against Russian airstrikes and ensure social life" can continue.
In recent weeks, Russia has attacked Ukraine's civilian infrastructure with drones and missiles, as it did the previous winter. These attacks are primarily intended to hurt Ukraine's economy and demoralize its people.
Zelensky also appointed the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, as the new governor of Zaporizhzhya region, which is partly occupied by Russian troops.
The Ukrainian army said on Telegram that its forces destroyed a control centre for Russian army combat drones on Sunday.
Several armoured vehicles were also destroyed during fighting on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region in the south of the country.
Kherson was largely occupied shortly after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. In November last year, the Ukrainians succeeded in liberating the parts of the region located on the right bank of the river - including the regional capital Kherson of the same name.
In a small but significant win, Ukrainian troops were able to establish a bridgehead on the other side of the river last autum.
Kiev said the destroyed control centre was used to electronically control the combat drones deployed by Russia on their flight to targets within Ukraine.
The information provided by the Ukrainian armed forces could not be independently verified.
Further east, at least 28 people were killed and 10 injured in the shelling of a bakery the Ukrainian city of Lysychansk, which is occupied by Russian troops, local authorities said on Sunday.
"The Ukrainian forces shelled a bakery in Lysychansk, civilians are among the rubble," wrote Leonid Pasechnik, the head of pro-Russian separatists forces in the Luhansk region, on his Telegram channel. He said those responsible would be punished.
The authorities say the site was hit with a western weaponry, meaning by Kiev. The city was shelled with HIMARS rocket artillery, the city said.
Russia claims Ukraine deliberately targeted the bakery in the Russian-occupied area, knowing that there were many people in the bakery at the time.
Ukraine has not commented on the attack. The Russian statements could not be independently verified.
