Our warriors need more means of Russian missiles, combat drones and aircraft destruction –  address by the President of Ukraine

27 September 2023 – 22:25

Dear Ukrainians!

A brief report on this day – it was a long and busy one, with many meetings and various events…

Morning conference call – reports from the military, the Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In particular, on the Russian shelling and dealing with the aftermath.

Special attention is paid to Kherson and Kherson region. These days, Russia has been shelling Kherson, Beryslav, and villages in Kherson region with particular brutality. Artillery, guided bombs. Targeting houses, farms, ordinary shops and infrastructure. It is a deliberate terror of the occupier. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones!

And I express my gratitude to each and every person who works in this region – in Kherson – and in all our other regions that are experiencing similar strikes. Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, northern regions. It is extremely important that despite everything there are rescuers and salvation. When they are there, when lives are saved, terror will not prevail.

I thank all the doctors and employees of the State Emergency Service, all the volunteers, police, utility workers, power engineers, local authorities and everyone who helps. I thank you for saving the lives of our people and for restoring their living conditions!

There are special orders for the military, there will also be special orders for everyone involved in international affairs: our warriors need more means of destroying Russian missiles, “Shaheds” and other combat drones, as well as Russian aircraft. And I am grateful to everyone in the world who is already helping and is willing to ramp up assistance to our country with the means that can provide more protection against Russian terror.

Today, I received letters of credence from the ambassadors – seven ambassadors who are starting their mission in Ukraine. The UK, France, Estonia, Canada, Hungary, Slovenia and the European Union. I talked to all of them. They are determined to work with Ukraine as productively as possible, and I am sure that this is the kind of work that all of us need now. Everyone in the world, who wants to bring the war to an end. To bring our mutual victory closer.

From now on, we have a new ambassador for our United24 fundraising platform. It is the British actor Mark Strong. We spoke today, and I thanked Mark for his decision to work in the Education and Science direction. His goal will be to raise funds to rebuild Ukrainian schools. Our task is to give all Ukrainian children the opportunity to study at school, not remotely, where and when security conditions allow.

By the way, United24 has already raised more than $470 million. Almost half a billion in donations from more than 110 countries. Different countries, different levels of contributions. People are helping – ordinary people and companies. I am grateful to everyone!

And one more thing.

I held several preparatory meetings today. This month we are planning powerful measures to reinforce the state, and we are already working on the agenda of October and November. Ukraine will be stronger. Ukraine will have more capabilities to defend itself.

No matter what happens in the world, no matter what the external conditions are, we must remember that it is only our conditions, our internal attitude to Ukraine, to freedom, to our goals, that will determine when we will achieve our goal. The main goal – Ukraine’s victory.

For Ukraine, strength has no alternatives. And everyone who strengthens the state, everyone who becomes stronger, everyone who helps fight the enemy and achieve results for Ukraine – all of them bring our goal closer.

Glory to our warriors!

Glory to our unbreakable people!

Glory to Ukraine!

In September 2022, Yehor Oliynyk lost his leg in battle.
He was fitted with a prosthesis at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center last December.
After just a month of rehabilitation, he returned to the battlefield.
«I am an upgraded version of myself: my leg does not… pic.twitter.com/pt0gep6JFT

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

In September 2022, Yehor Oliynyk lost his leg in battle.
He was fitted with a prosthesis at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center last December.
After just a month of rehabilitation, he returned to the battlefield.
«I am an upgraded version of myself: my leg does not freeze, does not get wet,»—he says about his artificial limb with humor and pride.
Yehor goes on assaults just like any other soldier. He is the quintessential unbreakable Ukrainian defender. One cannot even dream of defeating a soldier like Yehor.

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1706959330119913531

"We will enjoy the originals after our victory."
Lviv residents are working hard to preserve their city’s historic sites. Neither a UNESCO World Heritage Site status nor a "Children" warning sign stops russian terrorists from destroying Ukrainian cities and villages. Terrorists… pic.twitter.com/SN8FkvcLsn

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

“We will enjoy the originals after our victory.”
Lviv residents are working hard to preserve their city’s historic sites. Neither a UNESCO World Heritage Site status nor a “Children” warning sign stops russian terrorists from destroying Ukrainian cities and villages. Terrorists have no respect for history, for culture, for art and architecture, or for human life.

📷 Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFP

Message to the world: Ukraine’s Victory is inevitable.

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

The cost:

This morning, I got the call I long dreaded. My wife's cousin Sasha or Sashko, with whom she was close, was killed in action in the Verbove direction in Zaporizhzhia.

Sashko was only 33 years old and already served in the army in the Donbas in 2015-16. After the full-scale… https://t.co/n3FEtDzy7j

— Mattia Nelles (@mattia_n) September 26, 2023

This morning, I got the call I long dreaded. My wife’s cousin Sasha or Sashko, with whom she was close, was killed in action in the Verbove direction in Zaporizhzhia.

Sashko was only 33 years old and already served in the army in the Donbas in 2015-16. After the full-scale invasion started, he and his father initially remained in the occupied territories in northern Luhansk. The two of them fled Svatove in early April, once the horrors of Bucha broke the news. The Russian’s then had systematically began to search houses looking for veterans. They got lucky because they were not there when the Russian army raided their house.

Together Djadja Ihor and Sahshko fled with their small, ancient Zhiguli in what both described as an adventure that included a lot of dirt roads to Rivne. Days after, Sashko voluntarily enlisted to the Airborne Forces, where he had served in 2015-16. Just like many infantry men, he saw a lot of intensive fighting since April 2022. I vividly remember how happy he was when we helped him to buy decent boots, spare cloth, a modern helmet and a decent bulletproof vest…

My wife was very close with Sashko but he never wanted to speak about ‘the horrors of war’ as he put it. He was wounded twice. The most serious was in September last year in eastern Ukraine. When I asked him what happened, he jokingly said he fell from a tank. He left the multiple shrapnel in his legs unexplained.

While in the hospital with his second injury this spring, he got to know his wife Tetiana in the hospital. To marry her, Sashko got two days off and hurried to Kryvih Rih, the nearest place the two spontaneously got an appointment! One day after the wedding, Sasha returned to the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Back then, he already spoke of intensive fighting in March 2023, months before the Ukrainian counter offensive.

His biggest wish was to have a daughter… and just last week, he got the results from his latest medical examination. Because of the multiple injuries and a disability status he would have been allowed to return to the training grounds as an instructor. He refused as he did not want to leave his unit in the middle of intensive fighting.

The last we heard of him few weeks ago, he echoed the sentiment that so many of our Ukrainian friends and acquaintances share: as difficult as it is and despite the high cost, I want to fight this war, so that his future children would not have to. Sashko paid the ultimate price before becoming a father. We will never forget you. Rest in peace, brother!

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

2/ As you can see, a number of fresh scorch marks have emerged in recent days. It appears that new visible alterations have occurred to the east and southeast of Novoprokopivka. This aligns with recent reports of Ukrainian Forces activity in the vicinity of Novoprokopivka. pic.twitter.com/nWqzCgVpBI

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) September 27, 2023

4/ Scorch marks themselves don't confirm the presence or absence of troops; instead, they indicate areas affected by shelling or hostilities. September, being the driest period in the region, makes grass susceptible to catching fire. pic.twitter.com/uIOeyknBX5

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) September 27, 2023

6/ I kindly request your support through likes, follows, and shares of the first message in the thread.

I'm grateful to everyone who continues to support through Buy Me A Coffee, as it enables me to acquire and share imagery with analysis, including this one

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) September 27, 2023

Compare and contrast:

Ukraine:

.@ZelenskyyUa

This Sunday, October 1, Ukraine will mark the Day of its Defenders, for the first time on a new date. This day is devoted to everyone who fights for our nation, everyone who adds to Ukraine’s strength, and everyone who has given their life for Ukraine. On this… pic.twitter.com/oz49uFeLDe

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

.@ZelenskyyUa This Sunday, October 1, Ukraine will mark the Day of its Defenders, for the first time on a new date. This day is devoted to everyone who fights for our nation, everyone who adds to Ukraine’s strength, and everyone who has given their life for Ukraine. On this day, Ukraine will pause for a minute. To honor those who gave their lives in defense of our country and people. May this become our new tradition. 9 am, Sunday, October 1st. Central squares and streets of Ukrainian cities. A minute of honor. A minute of silence. And eternity of memory for our fallen defenders.

📹 @United24media

Russia:

Russia is gearing up for the ‘day of reunification’ of occupied territories on September 30th with the slogan ‘One Country, One Family, One Russia.’ Sounds strikingly similar to Nazi ‘Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer’ , doesn’t it? pic.twitter.com/4yHnRKqIyw

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) September 27, 2023

Orkhiv:

ORIKHIV AXIS /0020 UTC 28 SEP/ Sources report that RU units are being shifted in response to UKR pressure on the Robotyne / Verbove axis. UKR forces are prepared to exploit any resulting weakness in Russian defensive lines. pic.twitter.com/qdl7ZSVv6q

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) September 28, 2023

Irpin:

Irpin, Ukraine.

📷 bandit__graffiti pic.twitter.com/J5SisMhpg2

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

Bakhmut:

Bakhmut. russia paid a visit to this once-beautiful city.

📷 @Liberov pic.twitter.com/jow4eUkz9a

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

Klischiivka:

Klishchiivka. There is nothing russia doesn’t ruin.

📷 @Liberov pic.twitter.com/ZoXhcN7C8K

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

Andrijivka:

The village of Andrijivka was once here. That is, until russia arrived.

📷 @Liberov pic.twitter.com/tgAmjNTpyy

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 27, 2023

Kherson to Kyiv:

Kitten Leo, rescued in Kherson from the flood caused by the russian blowing up of the Kakhovka dam, now lives in Kyiv with his loving owner Tetiana. The kitty recovered while russia still isn't sanctioned for making this catastrophe #Makerussiapay
Via ShoTam pic.twitter.com/xULWgYkGQ6

— Olena Halushka (@OlenaHalushka) September 27, 2023

In case anyone was wondering what Russia’s strategic goals are for the next two years, Defense Minister Shoygu has been good enough to share them:

The plywood marshall Shoygu, who barely managed to save his skin by fleeing Rostov just hours before Prigozhin's arrival, says that the Moscow regime is increasing its firepower to achieve set goals by 2025. What goals exactly, no one knows, but it doesn't matter – Shoygu's only… pic.twitter.com/WEVwM65R4q

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) September 26, 2023

The plywood marshall Shoygu, who barely managed to save his skin by fleeing Rostov just hours before Prigozhin’s arrival, says that the Moscow regime is increasing its firepower to achieve set goals by 2025. What goals exactly, no one knows, but it doesn’t matter – Shoygu’s only purpose is to keep the Kremlin Ripper on the throne for as long as possible, and no Russian lives will be spared for this. Iron curtain 2.0 and permawar are the only way for P*tin to make up for the huge mistake of failing the invasion of a much stronger nation.

Vague goals are ideal in that they cannot be achieved – the widely promoted Kuypansk offensive and promises to take Kharkiv failed with occupier forces unable to move more than a few miles in some areas. Even the tankies stopped talking about it.

For you enthusiasts of Russian military equipment going kaboom:

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1707087310347485192

I know we talked about it in comments last night, but the Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has resigned. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has the details:

Liberal MP Anthony Rota is stepping down as House of Commons Speaker after inviting a former Ukrainian soldier who fought in a Nazi division to Parliament — a dramatic turn of events that will be welcomed by MPs on all sides who said the embarrassing incident was unforgivable.

Rota’s resignation will take effect at the end of the sitting day on Wednesday.

“I have acted as your humble servant, carrying out the important responsibilities of this position to the very best of my abilities. The work of this House is above any of us. Therefore, I must step down as your Speaker,” Rota said ahead of Tuesday’s question period.

“I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House.”

Rota said the “public recognition” he gave to a former Nazi soldier “caused pain to individuals and communities,” including Jewish people, Poles and “other survivors of Nazi atrocities.”

Rota’s decision to step aside means MPs will need to pick another presiding officer soon so the Commons can continue to function.

On Friday, Rota invited Ukrainian veteran Yaroslav Hunka, a constituent of his from North Bay, Ont., to sit in the parliamentary gallery during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Parliament.

Over the weekend, it emerged that Hunka was part of the First Ukrainian Division, also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division — a voluntary unit under the command of the Nazis.

The shockwaves from the 98-year-old’s appearance in Parliament are still being felt.

Poland’s education minister has said he wants Hunka to be extradited to face criminal penalties for his role in the Galician division, a unit that committed atrocities against Poles in the Second World War. Przemysław Czarnek said he has “taken steps” to get Hunka to Poland.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC), a Jewish rights group, said Rota’s action “compromised all 338 MPs” and “handed a propaganda victory to Russia.”

The FSWC is also calling on the Commons’ Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) to hold public hearings, investigate what took place and examine “vetting process failures.”

B’nai Brith, another Jewish group, said the government must make the Deschenes Commission‘s 1980s-era report public in its entirety so the country can learn the true extent of Ukrainian Nazi activities in post-Second World War Canada.

Reports suggest as many as 2,000 Ukrainian members of Adolf Hitler’s Waffen-SS were admitted to Canada after the war — after some British prodding. The commission said the number is likely lower than that.

But Jewish groups have long been critical of how these collaborators have been allowed to live in peace in Canada after voluntarily serving in Hitler’s war machine.

Historians have documented how soldiers like Hunka were trained at SS facilities in Germany, swore an oath to Hitler and received an education in Nazi doctrine.

“We cannot move forward as a country from Friday’s humiliating debacle without the government committing to finally opening its wartime records,” said Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith Canada’s CEO.

Government House Leader Karina Gould, who is of Jewish descent, said she’s horrified she celebrated Hunka. The Ontario MP also posed for a picture with the man after Friday’s festivities.

“This is very emotional for me,” Gould said, holding back tears as she spoke to reporters after Rota’s departure.

“My family are Jewish Holocaust survivors. I would have never in a million years stood and applauded someone who aided the Nazis.”

She said Rota should have never invited “someone like this.”

She said the outgoing Speaker was also “very misleading” when he encouraged parliamentarians to stand and applaud a Nazi collaborator.

The CBC also gives us a partial explanation for how this mistake was made:

As for who vetted Hunka, Rota’s spokesperson has said that the Speaker’s guest list for the event was not shared with the Prime Minister’s Office.

Rota’s picks to be in the gallery were sent to the House of Commons protocol office and the confirmed list of attendees was then shared with corporate security, which is partly responsible for security in the parliamentary precinct, including the Commons chamber in West Block.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

A new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

Така от розмова з @Leon the cat 😂🦅

♬ IM AN EAGLE – mymy

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

Such is the conversation with @Leon the cat 😂🦅

Open thread!