The President of Ukraine,

Volodymyr Zelensky

, said that for Ukraine, the war can end only with victory, and not with negotiations with Russia on the legitimization of the Ukrainian territories occupied by it.

"We do not sit down at the negotiating table out of fear, under a gun at the temple.

For us, the most dangerous iron is not rockets, planes, tanks, but shackles.

Not trenches, but chains," Uladzimir Zelensky said in his video address to Ukrainians on the occasion of Independence Day, which is celebrated on August 24.

According to him, Ukrainians can raise their hands up only once, when they will celebrate their victory.

"We do not trade our territories and our people.

For us, Ukraine is all of Ukraine.

All 25 regions, without any concessions or compromises," he added.

Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine will return its territories in the Donbass and Crimea, no matter what the path is.

"Don't you want your soldiers to die?

Free our lands.

That's how simple and clear our conditions are," said the head of the Ukrainian state.

According to him, Ukraine will not seek an understanding with terrorists, although it understands the Russian language, which Russia came to protect and killed thousands of people it came to protect.

And added in Russian:

"Johnson, who speaks English, is much more understandable and close to us than murderers, rapists and marauders who did all this in Russian," Uladzimir Zelensky added.

"We will definitely raise the blue-yellow flag all over Ukraine"

In Ukraine, August 23 was celebrated as the National Flag Day.

Traditionally, on this day in Kyiv, a large blue-yellow cloth was raised on the territory of the National Museum of the Second World War.

Similar ceremonies were held on this day in most Ukrainian cities, but mass festive events were cancelled.

Foreign intelligence agencies warn that during these festive days in Ukraine, Russia may launch a massive missile attack on state and civilian objects.

For the first time in the years of independence in Ukraine, all festive events dedicated to the days of the National Flag and Independence were canceled.

But in most cities, a solemn raising of the state flag took place on the main squares.

The biggest flag was raised in Kyiv.

The 90-meter mast was built in 2020 specifically for the largest Ukrainian flag - 24 meters long and 16 meters wide.

On August 23, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky took part in the solemn ceremony.

"We will never recognize other people's colors on our land and in our sky," said Uladzimir Zelensky, announcing a moment of silence in memory of Ukrainian defenders who died for the Ukrainian flag and land.

The head of the Ukrainian state assured that the Ukrainian flag will definitely be raised on the territories that are now occupied by Russia, and in the previously annexed Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky at the ceremony for the National Flag Day.

Kyiv, August 23, 2022

"Our flag returned to the island of Snakes, and the cruiser "Moscow" went on the set course.

And today I want to talk not only about the past of our flag, but also about its future.

The blue-yellow flag will fly where his home is, where it should be by law, in all temporarily occupied cities and villages of Ukraine," Uladzimir Zelensky said.

Secure communication


with our editors.

HERE

Russia's war against Ukraine

  • At 5 o'clock in the morning on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a military operation against Ukraine in the Donbass at the request of the "DPR" and "LPR" groups.

    On February 21, during a televised address to Russians, Putin called the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" independent states within the regions.

    On February 22, the Council of the Federation ratified this decision.

  • All days of the war, Ukrainian cities were bombarded with rockets, aircraft flew over them.

    Russian troops are attacking, including from the territory of Belarus, using airfields, bases and roads.

    Representatives of the Lukashenka regime justify the war, the opposition considers the territory of Belarus occupied and calls for resistance to the Russian invaders.

  • On February 27, the International Territorial Defense Legion was created in Ukraine, and foreign volunteers were invited to join it.

    Belarusians also entered there.

    During the three and a half months of the war, several Belarusian volunteers and soldiers of the USU died at the front: Alyaksei "Tur" Skoblya, Ilya "Litvin" Hrenau, Zmytser "Terror" Apanasovich, Zmytser "Hans" Rubashevsky, Konstantin "Phoenix" Dubail, Pavel "Volat" , Ivan "Brest" Marchuk.

    In the battle where Marchuk was killed, another six Belarusian fighters disappeared without a trace.

  • It is generally known about 10 fallen Belarusian soldiers of various units, including the Kalinovsky Regiment.

  • On June 17, the fighters of the Kalinovsky regiment received the state Ukrainian awards "For combat merits" and "Ukraine above all".

  • On March 30, the UN approved the composition of an independent commission that will investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

    It included people who worked in the analysis of the genocide in Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  • Contrary to Putin's statements about attacks only on military facilities, the Russians are bombing schools, kindergartens and residential areas of Ukrainian cities.

    The Russians are using banned weapons, including cluster bombs, against civilians.

  • On April 1, Lithuania became the first country in the European Union to completely abandon Russian gas.

    Latvia and Estonia followed her example.

    Germany has promised to completely stop using Russian oil by the end of 2022.

  • On April 2, after the liberation of the town of Bucha near Kyiv, photojournalists published dozens of photographs showing hundreds of dead people, victims of mass murders committed by Russian troops.

    Many are buried in spontaneous mass graves.

    The Russian occupation also brought great destruction to the people of Barodyan.

    It is also known about a number of rapes, including babies.

  • In April, missile attacks on Ukraine and airstrikes from the territory of Belarus decreased, Russian troops began to leave Belarus.

  • On May 9, the US President signed the Land Leasing Law.

    This law restores the program from the Second World War, which will speed up the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and increase the amount of such assistance.

  • On the night of May 17, the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Anna Malyar, confirmed the beginning of the operation to rescue the Ukrainian soldiers, who were trapped in the territory of "Azovstal".

    According to her, 53 seriously wounded were evacuated from there to the medical facility of occupied Novoazovsk.

    Another 211 people were brought to Alenivka through the humanitarian corridor.

    The Ministry of Defense of Russia states that almost 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers at the plant "surrendered" as of May 18.

    The International Red Cross officially registered these fighters as prisoners of war.

  • Since its inception, thousands of volunteers from 55 countries have joined the Foreign Legion, including Canada, the Baltic States, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands, the USA, the Czech Republic, Finland, and other countries.

    Several foreigners who fought for Ukraine were captured and died.

  • In June, the so-called "DPR" sentenced two volunteers from Great Britain and one from Morocco to death.

  • Since the beginning of the war, 34 journalists have died.

    Some did not perform professional functions, but were mobilized into the Ukrainian army.

  • On June 25, Ukrainian troops retreated from the city of Severodanetsk to fortified positions.

    The city was captured by the Russian military.

  • On July 29, as a result of an attack on the colony in Alenivtsi, at least 53 Ukrainian prisoners who previously defended the Azovstal plant were killed.

    The Russians accused Ukraine of the attack, the Ukrainian side declared that the prisoners were deliberately killed by the Russian side.

  • Independent verification of information about military actions provided by officials of various parties is still impossible.