Speeches

There was also a long report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi – we spent nearly an hour with him going through all frontline directions, our brigade preparations, and supplies. Right now, the focus is naturally on the Dobropillia operation, our counteroffensive.

Yesterday at the Staff meeting, we decided to allocate additional funding and equipment to the regions that need it most. These are, specifically, our frontline and border regions. All of this is already underway.

There were also reports on the deployment of additional air defense capabilities – a comprehensive protection – delivered by military commanders, as well as a detailed discussion on the protection of energy facilities and specific communities. We resolved these issues and fulfilled all requests from the heads of the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions first of all – requests for financial and other assistance.

Our Ukrainian weaponry is among the most effective in Europe, and we are ready to produce far more modern weapons. To do that, we need appropriate financing. I thank the Netherlands for supporting our production programs.

In the midst of a full-scale war, we are able to hold such events, which demonstrate Ukrainian strength that only continues to grow. And this says a lot, primarily, about our resilience: the resilience of the Ukrainian state and the inner strength of our people.

Recovery efforts are ongoing following the Russian strike on Ukraine – a massive attack in which the Russians are not even trying to conceal their true intentions. The overwhelming majority of targets were civilian objects and ordinary infrastructure.

Today, practically the entire day, the Russians have been carrying out brutal strikes on the city of Shostka in the Sumy region – targeting the railway station, energy facilities, and civilian infrastructure. This is a typical Russian terror. Dozens of drones. One of the hits was virtually on a train – an ordinary train, with no military purpose whatsoever.

I held a Staff meeting. Energy sector: reports were delivered on protecting our facilities and restoring them. Today, there was another Russian strike on our gas infrastructure – just ahead of the heating season, the Russians are looking for ways to inflict more harm on our people.

It is important that there is a common understanding that we need to move forward with security guarantees for Ukraine. The model that works for us can also work for others in Europe.

We are all now in a new reality – and everyone, I think, understands this, even those who may not want to admit it yet. The recent drone incidents across Europe are a clear sign that Russia still feels bold enough to escalate this war.