Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that the situation on the front lines—particularly in the Donetsk region—remains highly challenging, and the ability to hold back Russian advances depends entirely on the resilience of Ukrainian forces. He made the remarks in his evening address on the 1201st day of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to Zelenskiy, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, delivered a report focused on the Pokrovsk and Lyman sectors, as well as the situation along Ukraine’s northern border in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
“In some areas, the situation is very difficult, but everything depends on the resilience of our units,” Zelenskiy said, expressing gratitude to all those serving in Ukraine’s defence and security sector.
He gave special recognition to the 68th Jaeger Brigade and the 72nd Mechanized Brigade for their efforts in the Pokrovsk sector. In areas involved in the so-called Kursk operation, he highlighted the effectiveness of the 33rd and 225th Assault Regiments. In the Lyman sector, he commended the 66th Mechanized Brigade.
The president also said Ukraine is preparing for several important international events, including the G7 summit in Canada and the NATO summit in the Netherlands. He emphasized that Kyiv is working to ensure these gatherings yield concrete results.
“We must increase pressure on Moscow. Sanctions must be strengthened. We need to explore ways to use frozen Russian assets for our defence,” Zelenskiy said. He stressed that Russia “understands only one language—the language of force,” and that this must become the main mode of international communication with the Kremlin in the coming months.
He concluded by thanking everyone who is “fighting for Ukraine” and supporting the country and its people in this difficult time.