President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has given an impassioned speech to mark 33 years since Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union – as it continues its offensive inside Russia.
Addressing the nation ahead of Independence Day celebrations on Saturday, Mr Zelenskyy vowed that “united we are able to win”.
He described Ukraine’s offensive into Russia’s Kursk region as “justice” and a “boomerang for evil”.
Mr Zelenskyy also referred to the Russian border as that “between Ukraine and oppression, between life and death… an independent European state and the number one terrorist organization in the world”.
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Ukrainian forces have gained fresh momentum from the Kursk incursion – and the delayed arrival of US weaponry this month.
US President Joe Biden has since announced a fresh package of military aid, including air defence missiles, mobile rocket systems and counter-drone equipment, declaring “America’s unwavering support for the people of Ukraine”.
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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued his own message of support ahead of an Independence Day ceremony hosted by British Ukrainian Aid in Holland Park, west London.
Sir Keir promised the UK is “with you for as long as it takes”, signing off: “Slava Ukraini”.
“My message to all Ukrainians, whether on the front line or here in your second home in the UK, is crystal clear: we are with you today and always,” Sir Keir said.
“That is what I told President Zelensky when he sat at our Cabinet table and where, on behalf of the British people, I outlined that it is not just the British government that’s behind Ukraine – it’s all of us.”
Advances in Kharkiv and attack on Volgograd
Elsewhere on the frontline, Ukraine said its 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has advanced almost two square kilometres (1.2 square miles) in the Kharkiv region.
Satellite images also show damage to a Russian airbase in the Volgograd region following a Ukrainian drone attack.
Russia’s state Tass news agency said a separate attack on a cargo ferry at the port of Kavkaz in the Krasnodar region left 13 people injured on Friday.
Mr Zelenskyy reminded Ukrainians it has been 913 days since Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded after marking Ukraine’s National Flag Day and meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
“We know what independence is. How difficult it is to revive it. How difficult it is to defend it,” he said.
But he vowed that Russia “will not succeed”.
“You will fail. You will not prevail. And you will be held accountable for everything,” he added.
