Fellow Ukrainians!
Today, there were many issues related specifically to the military. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Drapatyi delivered a report – we identified the steps and means needed to reinforce the Slovyansk and Kostiantynivka sectors. I want to thank all our units that are destroying the occupier and countering Russian assaults and Russian infiltration. I expect that now, in August, no fewer than 30,000 occupiers will be eliminated. Today, Defense Minister Khmara and I spoke about our need for drones and the technological component. We discussed in detail, both with him and at the Staff meeting, the issue of funding for the army – we need to cover the shortfall as much as possible. The amount is substantial. Spending in the first half of the year was significantly higher, and this is a new challenge now – finding the necessary funding. Additional funding. We will speak with our partners. I also expect the Government of Ukraine, together with MPs, to work in such a way that Ukraine receives the necessary funds. The technological capabilities of our army and our defense operations must continue to grow. And that is the only way. Thanks to all the decisions made since last autumn – political decisions, financial decisions, and the technological choice we made a year ago – we were able to shift to a significantly more technologically advanced defense this winter and spring. The long-range sanctions plan is being implemented, and there are more and more of our mid-range strikes as well. In fact, we have succeeded in blocking off Russia’s south, and we are expanding this strategic operation – quite rightly, in response to Russian strikes on our ports and our cities. And every level of pressure on Russia must bring that country – and its society, above all – closer to the point where they want to end their war. Our sanctions against Russian oil refineries and other facilities in Russia’s oil sector, our mid-range strikes against Russian military logistics, and our operation in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov – all of this is working to limit Russia’s war potential. It is important to continue this with more active political and legal measures as well. Today, there is a Ukrainian sanctions package targeting companies and vessels that are transporting grain and other goods stolen from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We are preparing new sanctions packages against Russia’s war industry, financial chains, and intermediaries. Unfortunately, a significant number of Russian enterprises working for the war are still not under international sanctions, and this must be corrected during August and September. We will raise this with leaders at all working levels. The direct task for Ukrainian diplomacy is to ensure that, in major jurisdictions around the world, sanctions are imposed on those Russian companies and individuals, as well as those who help Russia, whose influence truly matters in terms of prolonging this war and producing Russian missiles and drones.
And one more point.
We continue working to secure air defense for Ukraine – the missiles needed to protect lives and agreements for production in Ukraine. All of this will happen. It is not easy, but all of this will happen. Throughout the war, we have already spoken many times about weapons, capabilities, and equipment that we were initially told were supposedly impossible for us to obtain. Then we heard that Ukrainians supposedly would not be able to do it because it would take decades to become capable of it. F-16s, the production of millions of drones a year, specialized missile technologies – we did it. The same will be true of anti-ballistic capabilities. The same will be true of Patriots in Ukraine. But every delay that, unfortunately, is happening at the political level simply costs lives. It is important to act quickly, to focus all our efforts on protecting lives and limiting Russia’s resources for war. The aggressor must feel that the world is there – truly there – and is acting to end the war, rather than simply watching the war continue. Thank you to everyone who is truly helping us, helping Ukraine! Thank you to everyone defending us, defending Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!