"The disaster at Kakhovskaya HPP created by Russian terrorists will not stop Ukrainians." Address of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi

07.06.2023 09:00

Photo by president.gov.ua

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressed the nation, talking about the disaster at the Kakhovskaya HPP created by Russian terrorists and the need for the world to directly and unequivocally condemn the aggressor's crime.

"Dear Ukrainian men and women!

This day, which began with an urgent meeting of the National Security Council, continued with a meeting of the Staff. We are waiting for the meeting of the UN Security Council.

The disaster at the Kakhovskaya HPP created by Russian terrorists will not stop Ukraine and Ukrainians. We will still free all our land. And each Russian terrorist attack only increases the amount of reparations that Russia will pay for the crimes committed, and not the chances of the occupiers to stay on our land.

First: I am grateful to all our rescuers, soldiers, representatives of local communities, each of our regions, who are currently helping people from our southern regions, flooded as a result of the Russian terrorist attack.

Second: the government at all levels is doing everything to save people and provide drinking water to those who received it from the Kakhovsky Reservoir. Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, cities and villages of Kherson region, Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhzhia - no matter how difficult it is, we must help people.

Third: I am grateful to everyone who is currently conducting and helping with the evacuation of people from cities and villages that were flooded with water from the Kakhovsky Reservoir. It is very important now to take care of each other and help as much as possible.

Fourth: the whole world will know about this Russian war crime, the crime of ecocide. Such deliberate destruction by the Russian occupiers of the dam and other structures of the HPP is an environmental bomb of mass destruction. For the sake of its own security, the world should show now that Russia cannot get away with such terror. And I am grateful to all leaders and states, all peoples and international organizations that supported Ukraine and are ready to help our people, our de-occupation steps. The Attorney General has already appealed to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to involve international justice in the investigation of the dam explosion.

I spoke today with IAEA director Grossi, in particular, about what happened with the Kakhovsky reservoir, about the general situation with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. I called on the director of the IAEA to directly and unequivocally condemn today's Russian terrorist attack and to increase our efforts to the maximum to liberate the ZNPP. They agreed on his visit to Ukraine.

Fifth: only the complete liberation of Ukrainian land from the Russian occupiers will guarantee that there will be no more such terrorist attacks. Russia uses anything for terror — any objects. The terrorist state must lose.

I want to say a few more things separately. Regarding our south and Crimea. We will find a way to restore normal life on our land after the expulsion of the Rashists. This applies to both water and everything else. This applies to all our regions — from Kherson region to Dnipro region, from Mykolaiv region to Crimea.

The fact that Russia deliberately destroyed the Kakhov reservoir, which is critically important, in particular, for providing water to Crimea, shows that the Russian occupiers have already realized that they will have to flee from Crimea as well.

Well, Ukraine will return all its own. And will make Russia pay for what it has done.

Glory to all our people who fight and work for our state and our people!

Separately, as yesterday, I want to celebrate today our heroes in the Bakhmut direction. Well done, warriors! 3rd Separate Assault Brigade and 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade - thank you! Thanks for moving forward!

Glory to Ukraine!"