Dear Ukrainians!
I have just received detailed reports on the situation in the city of Vyshneve following the explosion at the warehouses and the fire caused by the Russian missile strike. The Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General are examining all the circumstances of this tragedy as part of a criminal investigation. Today, SSU Major General Poklad presented the first findings, identifying who, and in which positions at Ukroboronprom, allowed, regrettably, weapons warehouses to be located in Vyshneve. Both the law and a decision of the Staff explicitly prohibited this, yet all of it was violated. The officials responsible have been identified, and the state position is clear: every single one of them must be held fairly accountable.
We all understand what wartime means, and every leader must feel that people's lives depend on their decisions or their failure to act. The heads of two state-owned enterprises acted in violation of the law, in violation of a decision of the Staff, and in violation of their official duties. The investigation is also examining the actions of their deputies responsible for security. There are other officials whose actions and decisions will also be reviewed.
The Security Service of Ukraine, together with other law enforcement agencies, must inspect other enterprises of this kind as well. And every head of an enterprise, at their own level, must ensure that tragedies like this are never repeated. Ukraine has designated facilities for storing weapons and ammunition. These locations have been established specifically to keep them away from residential areas. The reconstruction of what has been destroyed must also move faster, and this applies to more than just Vyshneve. Of course, much depends on the quality of work in communities and in regions, but some issues must be addressed at the government level. Decisions will be made in the near future.
Today, we also had a very detailed discussion about the future of Ukroboronprom. It is a large structure comprising dozens of enterprises, one of which located the warehouse in Vyshneve. Of course, the internal processes within Ukroboronprom for overseeing the activities of its enterprises and their directors must be strengthened.
The second point today. I am preparing changes across our diplomatic efforts. We need a new quality of engagement with Ukraine’s partners to ensure the implementation of our agreements on weapons supplies. The agreements reached at the leaders’ level must be implemented much faster and in full. The U.S. and our agreement on licenses for the production of Patriots. Europe and our work to develop Europe’s own anti-ballistic capabilities, as well as other projects focused specifically on defensive cooperation. Also, the support packages for Ukraine that have been announced but, as of today, have not yet been delivered in full.
Today, Russians launched a ballistic missile strike against Ukraine, with Kyiv as the primary target. There was also a terrible Russian aerial bomb attack on Sumy and a missile strike on the city of Odesa. My condolences to the families and loved ones of everyone who was killed. Throughout the day, “shaheds” and other attack drones continued to strike the Kharkiv region, our Dnipro region, communities in the Sumy region, Donetsk region, Kherson region, and Zaporizhzhia.
It should not take weeks to move from announcing a support package for Ukraine to delivering it. And this is the responsibility of everyone in the state involved, above all, in diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian warriors need more resources and more capabilities to protect lives and defend our people from Russian evil.
And, the important moral significance of this day, July 11. Every year on this day, Poland and Ukraine honor the memory of people – civilians – who were killed in Volyn during the Second World War. Today, representatives of the Ukrainian state took part in joint prayer services alongside representatives of the Polish state – both here in Ukraine and in Poland. Ukraine is doing its part to fairly establish the facts about those who were killed in those years. Search operations are underway at the sites of former villages and burial locations. Ukraine is committed to accelerating this process. In just two days, exhumation work will begin in the villages of Ostrivky and Volya Ostrovetska. What we need is the full truth and a Christian commemoration of the victims. But we must also remember that today, in our own time, Ukraine and Poland face one common threat, which is a deadly threat to our independence, to both our states, to every city and every village. That threat is Russia. As we speak about the past, we must not cast doubt on the future of our nations – the future of Ukraine, of Poland, and the future of all of Europe.
I thank everyone contributing to our security. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine.
Glory to Ukraine!