Only those states have true strength that can defend their sky and honor their aviation – address by the President of Ukraine

26 August 2023 – 20:45

Dear Ukrainians!

For 30 years now, on the last Saturday of August, Ukrainian aviation workers, both military and civilian, have been celebrating their professional holiday.

Pilots, engineers, everyone who works in the aviation industry, in aircraft production, in air transportation. Everyone who makes Ukraine one of the powerful countries. Because only those states have true strength that can defend their sky and honor their aviation.

Now, this year, Ukraine has to accomplish all the necessary tasks for F-16s to appear in our sky. This will be a new level of Ukrainian military aviation. And this will bring the return of civil aviation to the Ukrainian sky closer, because it will bring victory closer and give Ukraine more security.

There are a lot of reasons for congratulations on this Aviation Day. There is much to be thankful for. And I am thankful. We are all thankful.

Unfortunately, these words alone are not enough today.

Yesterday, a disaster occurred in the sky over Zhytomyr region. Three pilots died. Among them was Andriy Pilshchykov, call sign Juice. He was a Ukrainian officer, one of those who helped our country a lot. A lot! My condolences to the family and friends, to everyone who knew the guys.

The investigation into what happened is ongoing. It’s too early to talk about the details. Of course, all the circumstances will be clarified. Of course, Ukraine will never forget anyone who defended Ukraine’s free sky. May they always be remembered!

I would like to say a few more words today.

First of all, our warriors. In the Bakhmut sector, all those who are fighting in the areas of Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Kurdiumivka. The Avdiivka sector. Maryinka. The Melitopol sector, in particular, Robotyne. Thank you for your fortitude, warriors!

Second, our partners. As of today, more than 20 countries have already joined the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine. Our team continues its work. Now there are almost 30 in total, including the G7. There will be more.

We have started negotiations with Canada on a bilateral document on security guarantees. Earlier we started with the United States and the United Kingdom. This will give Ukraine much more opportunities. I am grateful to each and every person who works for this!

And the third is our emotions. We should not let our emotions take over anywhere or in anything. Especially between us, within society, between Ukrainians. Please take care of each other. And have time to thank everyone who helps the defense, everyone who helps Ukraine. We are defending our country, moving forward in an absolutely rational manner and bringing our victory – the victory of Ukraine – closer.

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost:

A tragic loss. On August 25th, two L-39 military jets collided over the Zhytomyr region. Three pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force lost their lives. One of them was Major Andrii Pilshchykov, a 2nd Class pilot and a recipient of the Order of Courage, 3rd Class, known by the callsign… pic.twitter.com/Oa8cHUX1D8

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 26, 2023

A tragic loss. On August 25th, two L-39 military jets collided over the Zhytomyr region. Three pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force lost their lives. One of them was Major Andrii Pilshchykov, a 2nd Class pilot and a recipient of the Order of Courage, 3rd Class, known by the callsign ‘JUICE’. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the departed. We are grateful for their service. They will be remembered both in the skies and on the ground.

Hold up the sky for us pic.twitter.com/cnlMJNiGtn

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) August 26, 2023

I’ve included Major Pilshcykov’s tweets or quotes tweeted by others in previous updates over the past year and a half. This type of accident is significant for the Ukrainians given how constrained they are in regard to their aviation assets.

Lord, guard and guide the men fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Mary C. D. Hamilton (1915)

The cost 2:

12-year-old Yana Stepanenko, who lost both of her legs in April of last year in a russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station, is returning to Ukraine.

Over the course of a year, she underwent prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation in the United States. Until she… pic.twitter.com/zqISVVwexU

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 26, 2023

12-year-old Yana Stepanenko, who lost both of her legs in April of last year in a russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station, is returning to Ukraine.

Over the course of a year, she underwent prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation in the United States. Until she turns 18, she will need to change her prosthetics every year.

Despite this, Yana is living a full life—attending school, riding a bicycle, and traveling. Recently, Yana became the face of the UNBROKEN KIDS campaign, which is raising funds for rehabilitation equipment and prosthetics for children with war-related injuries in Ukraine.

The cost 3:

Children should not come to school for funerals. Russia killed the school principal, her deputy, librarian and secretary in Romny on August 23. pic.twitter.com/vDJOzITN4B

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) August 26, 2023

Podoly, Kharkiv Oblast:

The occupants continue their systematic killing of civilians. Following the shelling of the village of Podoly near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, at least two people were killed, and another person was wounded. The russian terrorists’ target was a cafe where local residents had… pic.twitter.com/9ZrHzgOn0I

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 26, 2023

Robotyne:

2/ I anticipated that it would take a few days for the OSINT community to detect and identify them, hence I waited until today. According to russian military doctrine, at least on paper, 76th division is a part of their strategic reserves, underscoring the seriousness of the move

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 26, 2023

4/ Lastly, I want to highlight that the division is comprised of various units. Therefore, it's more accurate to refer to "elements and units of the 76th division,". This is distinct from the complete division with all its constituent units.

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 26, 2023

That's how I read it, otherwise I don't see a reason for such a rapid troops redeployment

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 26, 2023

Define "heavy firepower". If you mean armor, artillery and ATGMs – the answer is yes.

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 26, 2023

Here’s what it looks on the map:

NOTE: Novopropkopivka is assessed to be in control of RU forces. Though difficult to see, the town was plotted in a ‘fluid’ [red striped] zone. Based on RU artillery fire missions, UKR forces were in contact S of the town adjacent to the T-04-08 HWY. Plotted RU artillery… pic.twitter.com/Q0dU6PR4Pv

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) August 26, 2023

Indications & Warnings
A NOTE ON SOURCES AND METHODS:

Thanks to the many readers who have put Indications & Warnings above 160K followers. I’ve been asked some questions on some of our later maps and would like to answer for everyone.

Why do the lines on the map…

— Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | (@ChuckPfarrer) August 26, 2023

Indications & Warnings
A NOTE ON SOURCES AND METHODS:

Thanks to the many readers who have put Indications & Warnings above 160K followers. I’ve been asked some questions on some of our later maps and would like to answer for everyone.

Why do the lines on the map change?

The front line in any battle is difficult to judge. Zones of control and the line of contact are highly changeable. The Zero Line may or may not be where the enemy takes you under fire. A place that was ‘safe’ yesterday may not be safe today. Every battle space is dynamic. Lines on the map are estimates.

Indications & Warnings monitors multiple sources and attempts to ’triangulate’ the Zero Line and update this assessment hourly. Source reporting varies daily, and the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA) is depicted on the preponderance of current reports.

Your maps are wrong! [Fill in the Blank] says so!

Many of the ‘gold standard’ daily maps, (Deep State, LiveUMap, ISW) vary daily. Sometimes they depict a ‘Zero Line’ that differs by as much as 10-15 kilometers.

We base our reportage on based heavily on the twice daily reports of the Ukrainian General Staff. We also use an ‘average’ of the larger sites, augmented by local combat sources, as well as geolocated combat photos and video.

Other daily maps are different. You must be wrong!

Indications & Warnings, to my knowledge, is the only account that attempts to report battle spaces at the granular level– often based on squad and platoon level contacts.

The Institute for the Study of War reports at a ’Nation-wide” altitude. We report on small spaces, within the length of their “lines”. Their scales are 100 Km, ours are often 100 meters.

Indications & Warnings provides close ups of individual battle spaces. We might not always get the latest reports, but we constantly update, are happy to reassess our maps and are equally happy to receive information from new front line sources.

You sometimes show combat beyond the Zero Line—why?

A major component of our reportage is the plotting of Russian artillery strikes. These are always indicative of the presence of UKR troops. Russians don’t shell their own positions. These artillery strikes demonstrate that the ‘agreed upon’ front is porous, and that UKR conducts many raids, probes and patrols beyond the zero line.

Why do other maps show such different lines of contact?

The Line of Contact and the Forward Edge of the Battle Area are matters of opinion– and are constantly in motion. They certainly vary on a daily basis. When local combat sources tell me where the zero line is– I weigh their reports more heavily than ‘other maps’.

Both sides conduct attacks, probes and strikes ‘across the lines. We report ‘crossline’ operations conducted by both UKR and RU units. The ‘Zero Line” is somewhere between the last two reported contacts.

I’m unfollowing you!

No account should be your only source of information. Follow as many map providers as you can. Compare their posts. Go to http://Opentopomap.com and download topographic maps of the battle spaces and consult the terrain yourself. This will allow you to get a better idea of what the front is like.

High ground is important. So are roads and junctions. Find out where they are. Armies move on roads, and open terrain is a killing field. Look at the top maps and determine where troops are likely to be– and where they are likely avoid. This will help you to assess other maps.

[Fill in the Blank] says you’re a… [fill in curse word].

There are a few ‘personalities’ in the mapping game. Some of them are bullies. Good luck to them and their sock puppet accounts. Indications & Warnings is living rent free their heads.

We don’t feel its necessary to attack or criticize other accounts, and we don’t engage in ad hominem attacks. We’re not in a zero sum game. We encourage you to follow other accounts. Get as much info as you can– and make your own approximations.

We’re about information, not personalities. We get trolled. It’s gonna happen. Right now, based on daily views, negative comments on our account run about at 0.000078 % of traffic. That’s [wait for it]….. 78/100,000ths of one percent of views. Pretty much infinitesimal. Opinions are going to vary. Especially from people who are having a bad week.

Why we do things differently:

To my knowledge, we are one of the only accounts who have been reporting on individual battles since the beginning of the invasion. We report on the most changeable and variable aspects of battle and do our best to get it right.

We update most of our battle space maps daily–using UKR and RU sources, and frequently provide hourly updates on individual points of contact.

Many, many thanks to all the readers of I &W and to the many hundreds who tune in to Bullet Points on
@MriyaReport
. Thank you especially to the brave front line sources from whom I’m honored to receive reports. I am always striving to make Indications & Warnings better, and I appreciate your help.

@finntrasan

I know some of you all have Wagner questions, questions regarding the white supremacist Rusich militia, etc. I’ll try to get to them tomorrow.

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

Happy #InternationalDogDay 😊😍 https://t.co/rzzdCATNWV

— Patron (@PatronDsns) August 26, 2023

Open thread!