Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!
Today, we withstood another massive missile strike by terrorists.
A strike that fully confirms everything we have been talking about with our partners both yesterday and since the beginning of our diplomatic marathon.
This evil, this Russian aggression can and should be stopped only with adequate weapons. The terrorist state will not understand anything else.
Weapons on the battlefield. Weapons that protect our skies.
New sanctions against Russia, i.e. political and economic weapons. And legal weapons - we need to work even harder to establish a tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine and to compensate for all the damage caused by this war at the expense of Russian assets.
Every Russian missile against our cities, every Iranian drone used by terrorists is an argument why we need more weapons. Only weapons neutralize terrorists.
And I am grateful to everyone in the world who is really fighting terror together with us.
Who is speeding up the supply of necessary defense equipment to Ukraine and who is willing to increase sanctions pressure on the terrorist state.
In particular, we are expanding our tank coalition - there is a corresponding decision of Canada, and I am grateful for it. We already have 12 countries in our tank coalition.
Today, thanks to the air defense systems provided to Ukraine and the professionalism of our warriors, we managed to shoot down most of the Russian missiles and Shaheds.
These are at least hundreds of lives saved and dozens of infrastructure facilities preserved.
And I thank our Air Forces, each and every one who last night, this morning and afternoon ensured the defense of Ukraine against terrorists’ missiles and drones.
I would like to especially praise the warriors of the 96th Kyiv, 160th Odesa and 208th Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigades.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to provide 100% protection with air defense alone. Especially when terrorists use ballistic missiles.
Today there were missile hits. Unfortunately, there are wounded and dead. My condolences to all the families and friends...
This Russian terror requires asymmetrical responses. We need a new movement of our forces at the front. We need to ensure the defeat of the terrorists' ground forces.
Whatever the Russian occupiers are planning, our preparation must be stronger.
We talk about it with our partners. And we discuss it at the meetings of the Staff.
Today was just such a meeting.
Details about the situation in the Donetsk region. Bakhmut, Vuhledar and the battle for Donbas in general.
I am grateful to all our units who demonstrate the resilience Ukraine needs, exhausting the occupier and destroying it.
The more Russia loses in this battle for Donbas, the less its overall potential will be.
At the meeting of the Staff we also discussed in detail what we should prepare for in the coming months. We know what the occupiers are planning. We are countering it.
This applies both to the supply of weapons and ammunition and to the overall strengthening of our defense forces.
Today, I held operational meetings on the situation in the energy sector - on existing deficits and recovery from terrorist attacks. Repair crews are working in all locations of the hits.
As of now, there are electricity supply restrictions in most of our regions. The most difficult situation is in Odesa, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Sumy and Poltava regions.
Power engineers, utility workers and everyone involved in stabilizing the energy system will do everything necessary to restore generation and technical supply capacity. I thank everyone involved in this work.
I also thank everyone in the world who has helped and is helping Ukraine with energy equipment. To every country, every company and every person - to those millions of our friends who, through United24 or other support tools, prove that Russian terror must lose.
And one more thing.
Unfortunately, I have to repeat this for those who did not hear it well.
Any trip abroad by government officials, MPs, representatives of local authorities and other persons authorized to perform the functions of the state or local self-government, any of their trips abroad must comply with the relevant decision of the National Security and Defense Council, which you have all seen.
There will be no other trips abroad by officials or MPs in wartime.
I think this is fair.
I thank everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! I thank everyone who is working for our country and society!
Eternal memory to everyone whose life was taken by Russian terrorists!
Russia will be held accountable for terror.
Glory to Ukraine!
