- Zelenskyy blasted talkative officials who gave details of its military tactics to media outlets.
- It followed an audacious attack on Russian plans in Crimea, far beyond the front line.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed a sharp message at his senior officials on Thursday, telling them to stop leaking information about Ukraine's war tactics.
During his evening address, Zelenskyy said it was "frankly irresponsible" to give out details of military operations to the media.
The reprimand came after several unnamed Ukrainian officials spoke to news outlets about a surprise strike in Russia-occupied Crimea on Tuesday.
As many as 13 Russian warplanes were destroyed at Saki naval airbase in a strike that highlighted major gaps in Russia's air defense systems.
Ukraine did not formally claim responsibility, while Russia downplayed the damage and attempted to attribute it to an accidental explosion.
Nonetheless, reports in outlets like The Washington Post, Politico, and The New York Times cited unnamed Ukrainian officials who said Ukraine had indeed carried out the attack.
Soon after, aerial photos from satellite-imaging companies showed damage in multiple spots, confirming extensive damage and disproving Russia's explanation.
In Thursday's address, Zelenskyy said the people giving out such information were more interested in glory than victory.
"The general rule is simple: war is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements. The less concrete details you give about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defence plans," he said.
"Those who want to see Ukraine win the war, rather than prompt big headlines should feel responsibility for every word you say about our state's preparation for defence or counteroffensive," he said.