Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (31/07/2022) – 158 days

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 31 July 2022.

Ukrainians!

Today, one of the most brutal shellings of Mykolaiv and the region over the entire period of the full-scale war took place. Dozens of missiles and rockets… The occupiers hit residential buildings, schools, other social infrastructure, and industrial facilities.

The Russian attack took the lives of Oleksiy Vadaturskyi and his wife Raisa, the founder of one of the largest Ukrainian agricultural companies “Nibulon”, the Hero of Ukraine. My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the Vadaturskyi couple.

It is exactly such people, such companies, our Ukrainian south that have guaranteed the world’s food security. It has always been so. And it will be so again. The Russian terrorists should not even hope that they will be able to destroy the social and industrial potential of Ukraine and walk through the ruins.

Ukraine and our people, our capabilities are definitely more powerful than any Russian missiles and shells.

Now the Russian army is trying to strengthen its positions in the occupied areas of the south of our country, increasing activity in the relevant areas. Part of the Russian forces from their positions in the east are moved to the south – to the Kherson region and the Zaporizhzhia region… But this will not help them there.

None of the Russian strikes goes unanswered by our military and intelligence officers. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to respond to any new activity of the occupiers.

And today I want to thank every resident of Mykolaiv for their indomitability, for protecting the city and the region. I also thank Nikopol, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, the strong people of Zaporizhzhia and the region, all Ukrainians of the Kherson region, everyone who defends the outskirts of Odesa and the region… Thank you for your courage!

Strategically, Russia has no chance of winning this war. And it is necessary to hold on, so that even at the tactical levels, the terrorist state feels its defeat. We have to hold on in the south, in the east and everywhere. We have to hold on in defense, diplomacy and politics. To preserve our unity – and not only until the victory, but also after it, in order to qualitatively restore everything destroyed by the occupiers. I believe that we will do all this.

I signed several important laws today, in particular the law on providing additional guarantees of protection to media representatives working in the areas of hostilities. This will strengthen the protection of our journalists.

The law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of IDPs is eliminating bureaucratic barriers that limited assistance to people.

The law on the protection of the civilian population in the event of emergency situations and hostilities.

Also, the law that creates conditions for comprehensive thermal modernization of buildings and simplifies the process of restoring the residential sector damaged by the strikes of the occupiers.

Important ratification laws, some other acts as well.

We are preparing for a new week – as always, full of international activity. Already tomorrow there will be important negotiations with European partners. In a few days I will continue delivering speeches to the international community, communicating with different audiences – it is very important, in particular with the student audience.

No matter what happens and no matter what the occupiers’ plans are, we must do our job – protect our state and take care of each other.

The more effective we are in this – all of us, all citizens of Ukraine – the faster we will achieve victory.

Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!