I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!
Today, the first stage of the prisoner exchange agreed in Istanbul has begun. More stages will follow – at least, that’s what was discussed with the Russian side. This exchange is to include the wounded, the severely wounded, and also those aged 25 and younger. The exchange process is expected to take place over multiple days. The details of the process are quite sensitive, so for now, there is less information than usual. I thank everyone who is helping to carry out the exchange and working to ensure that all our people can return home from Russian captivity.
I held a meeting on June’s international agenda – much has already been planned. And one of the key issues will be precisely this: speeding up diplomacy and achieving real decisions. No meeting should be hollow – in Ukraine, we must always feel the exact value of each negotiation, each format. If a meeting doesn’t bring us closer to decisions that can end the war through diplomacy, then there must be decisions that will help strengthen our defense, our active operations, or increase pressure on Russia. Severe pressure on Russia or real, effective diplomacy to end the war – those are the only possible options.
Today, I held a meeting of the Staff. There were also separate discussions with Defense Minister Umerov, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, and Chief of the General Staff Hnatov. Intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine delivered their reports. The primary focus was the frontline, the formation and development of corps, and our strikes on Russian military targets: all their assets contributing to strikes against Ukraine. Our precision matters and should not only spoil the mood in Moscow, but also undermine the real capacity of military production, army supplies, and strategic potential. I thank all our warriors and companies who make this possible. I am also grateful to all our warriors for their tenacity.
The fiercest and most intense fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction, in the areas of the Kursk operation, and along the border in the Sumy region. Russian tactics remain the same everywhere: ignore losses and try to advance, storming our Ukrainian positions in an attempt to seize even a single meter, anything at all. But their potential is not infinite. That’s why a certain level of Russian casualties – and our actions – should and do hinder their advance. Every one of our units that successfully fulfills its mission on its front is protecting the entire country. The Pokrovsk direction: the 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade and the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade – thank you, warriors, for your strength! The Kursk direction: the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade – thank you! And every unit in the Sumy region, in the Kharkiv region – all those defending Ukraine’s border areas and doing so effectively – thank you! Thank you!
Glory to Ukraine!