“The longest day of our lives”

This is how it began on February 24, 2022. The longest day of our lives. The hardest day in our modern history. We got up early and haven’t slept since.

Someone was frightened, someone was in shock, someone did not know what to say, but everyone felt what to do. There were traffic jams on the roads, but many went for weapons. Queues formed. Some remained at the border, but many went to the military registration and enlistment offices, parts of the territorial defense.

We did not raise the white flag and began to defend the blue and yellow. We were not afraid, we did not collapse, we did not give up. The symbol of this was the border guards of the Serpent Island (in Ukrainian Serpent) and the path they showed the Russian warship.

Our faith has been strengthened. Our morale has been strengthened. We survived the first day of a full-scale war. We did not know what would happen tomorrow, but we understood that every tomorrow is worth fighting for.

And we fight. And we fight desperately for every day. And we endured the second day. And then the third. The three days that were predicted to us. We were threatened that we would be gone in 72 hours. But we survived the fourth day. And then the fifth. And today we stand exactly one year. We also know that every morning is worth fighting for!

I thank all those who make our resistance possible. All of them are our defenders: the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Ground forces, our infantry and our tanks; air and naval forces; Artillery, air defense, paratroopers, reconnaissance, border guards; Special Operations Forces; Security Service; National Guard; police; territorial defense units; all our security and defense forces. Thanks to you, Ukraine stands. And we survived a furious month and a furious outbreak of war.

And then spring came. New attacks, new wounds, new pain. Everyone saw the true nature of our enemy. The explosion of the hospital, theater them. Mariupol, from the state administration of the Nikolaev region, from the Kharkov Freedom Square, from the Kramatorsk railway station. We saw Bucha, Irpen, Borodyanka. The whole world has clearly realized what the “Russian world” really means. What is Russia capable of?

At the same time, the world saw what Ukraine is capable of. These are new heroes: the defenders of Kyiv, the defenders of Azovstal. Entire cities performed new feats: Kharkov, Chernigov, Mariupol, Kherson, Nikolaev, Gostomel, Volnovakha, Bucha, Irpin, Akhtyrka. Hero cities. Capitals of invincibility. New symbols. And along with it, new estimates and forecasts for Ukraine.

change in perception

First month of the war. And the first turning point in the war. The first changes in the worldview of Ukraine. Didn’t fall for three days. He stopped the second army in the world. Every day we receive new blows, every day we know new tragedies, but we endure gratitude to those who gave their all every day. For the benefit of others.

These are our doctors, rescuing wounded soldiers on the front lines, working under fire, giving birth in bomb shelters and staying in touch for days and weeks. For example, our fire and rescue teams pull people out from under the rubble and fire 24/7. And our railway workers, who evacuated hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without sleep and rest since the beginning of the war.

As well as the first offensives, the first achievements, the first liberated territories. The first and not the last Chernobaevka. The expulsion of the invaders of the Kyiv, Sumy and Chernihiv provinces. Our Stugna. wilha. Our Neptune and the sinking of the cruiser Moskva. First Rammstein. And second lend-lease stories.

Ukraine surprised the world. Ukraine inspired the world. Ukraine united the world. There are a thousand words to prove it, but a few are enough: HIMARS, Patriot, Abrams, IRIS-T, Challenger, NASAMS, Leopard.

I thank all our partners, allies and friends who have been by our side throughout the year. I am glad that the international anti-Putin coalition has grown so much that it requires a separate speech. I will pronounce it shortly. Certainly.

I also thank our foreign policy army. Units of our diplomats, ambassadors, representatives in international organizations and institutions. All those who fight the invaders with blood and fire in accordance with international law, seeking new sanctions and the recognition of a terrorist state as a terrorist state.

rewrite history

The war changed the fate of many families. He rewrote the history of our families. It has changed our customs and traditions. Grandparents told their grandchildren how they beat the Nazis. Now the grandchildren tell their grandparents how they defeated the rashists [un insulto ucraniano para los rusos que combina las palabras «fascista» y «racista»]. Scarves were knitted by mothers and grandmothers, now camouflage nets are knitted. Children used to ask Santa Claus for smartphones and gadgets, but now they give pocket money and collect funds for our soldiers.

After all, every Ukrainian has lost someone over the past year: father, son, brother, mother, daughter, sister. Darling. Close friend, colleague, neighbor, acquaintance. My deepest condolences.

Almost everyone has at least one contact who will never pick up the phone again.

Almost everyone has at least one phone contact who will never pick up the phone again. He will never respond to the message “How are you?”. These simple words took on a new meaning in the year of the war. Every day, millions of Ukrainians wrote or asked this question millions of times to their loved ones. Every day someone didn’t get an answer. Every day the invaders killed our family and friends.

We will not delete their names from the phone or from our own memory. We will never forget them. We will never forgive them. We will never rest until the Russian murderers are justly punished. Punishment by the International Tribunal. God’s judgment. About our warriors. Or all together.

The verdict is clear. 9 years ago, a neighbor became an aggressor. A year ago, an attacker became an executioner, a marauder and a terrorist. We have no doubt that they will be held accountable. We have no doubt that we will win.

Sorry for the summer. We have exceeded 100 days of war. We received the status of a candidate for the EU, returned the Snake Island, heard the first “Bavovna” in Crimea, saw fireworks in the warehouses of the occupiers and on the Antonovsky bridge.

August was the first month during which the invaders did not take a single Ukrainian city. Threats and ultimatums about denazification they were replaced by goodwill gestures. Therefore, we felt that our victory was inevitable. Close. Achieve.

And then autumn came. And our counteroffensive. Liberation of Izyum, Balakleya, Kupyansk, Liman, Kherson region and the city of Kherson. We saw how our soldiers were received there. How they appreciated the Ukrainian flag. As we waited and returned to Ukraine.

For those who are still waiting

I want to reach out to those who are still waiting. To our citizens who are now in temporary occupation. Ukraine has not abandoned you, has not forgotten about you, has not abandoned you. One way or another, we will free all our lands. We will do our best to return Ukraine. And to all those who are now forced to stay abroad, we will do our best to return them to Ukraine. We will do our best to make this possible.

We will fight and return all our captured soldiers. Only all this will mean victory.

We see it even in the dark. Despite the constant massive rocket attacks and power outages. We see the light of this victory.

In the memories of my first feelings on February 24th. In 2022, people mention shock, pain, and uncertainty. A year after a full-scale invasion, the belief in victory is 95%. The main emotion that we experience when we think about Ukraine is pride. For every Ukrainian man, for every Ukrainian woman. Pride for us. We have become a great army. We have become a team where someone finds, someone packs, someone brings, but everyone donates.

In the memories of my first feelings on February 24th. 2022, people talk about shock, pain and uncertainty

I am grateful to our people, grateful to our multi-million army of volunteers and caring citizens who can get together and get what they need.

We have become one. Our journalists and media are a united front in the fight against lies and panic.

We have become a family. There are no more strangers among us. Today’s Ukrainians are all comrades. Ukrainians accepted Ukrainians, they opened their homes and hearts to those who were forced to flee the war.

We stand against all threats, bombings, cluster bombs, cruise missiles, kamikaze drones, power outages and cold. We are stronger.

It was a year of perseverance. One year care. Year of courage. A year of pain A year of hope. Year of resistance. Year of Unity.

Year of invincibility. Furious year of invincibility.

Its main result is that we resist. We weren’t defeated. And we will do our best to win this year!

Glory to Ukraine!