Address by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Dec. 31, 2022

The terrorist state won’t be forgiven, and those who give orders and carry out strikes will not receive a pardon

December 31st… Today, this Russian missile attack is not the end of the year, no matter how much the terrorists want it. It’s the outcome of Russia’s fate.

The terrorist state will not be forgiven. And those who give orders for such strikes, and those who carry them out, will not receive a pardon. To put it mildly.

Several missile attack waves on New Year’s Day. Missiles against people. It’s against the people.

NONhumans did it, NONhumans will lose. And you and I know it. Terrorists cannot change it.

At Easter, they made such attacks, at Christmas, at New Year… They call themselves Christians, they are very proud of their Orthodoxy. But they are following the devil. They support him and are together with him.

And I’ll tell you about it in Russian.

All this war that you are waging, you are Russia, it is not the war with NATO, as your propagandists lie. It is not for something historical. It’s for one person to remain in power until the end of his life. And what will be with all of you, citizens of Russia, does not concern him.

Your leader wants to show that he has the troops behind him and that he is ahead. But he is just hiding. He hides behind the troops, behind missiles, behind the walls of his residences and palaces.

He hides behind you and burns your country and your future. No one will ever forgive you for terror. No one in the world will forgive you for this. Ukraine will never forgive.

And you yourself will not forgive him everything that he will destroy and everyone whom he will kill.

Citizen of Ukraine!

All our services work where there were missile hits. We provide assistance to those affected. Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv this time…

Unfortunately, there are casualties… My condolences to the families.

Most of the missiles have been intercepted by our air defense forces. And these are lives saved. If it were not for air defense, the number of casualties would have been different. Much bigger. And this is yet another proof for the world that support for Ukraine must be increased.

I thank all the partners who helped with the air defense. IRIS-T, Crotale, NASAMS, Hawk. MANPADS Perun, Mistral, etc. Next year it will be Patriot. This year, a lot of S-300s were made, which we also received.

Each of these systems is a counter to terror, it’s what proves the strength of normal people and the ineffectiveness of terrorists. A weapon against terror is a means for peace.

And every day – today is no exception – we release our people. A total of 140 people were returned from Russian captivity today. 22 officers, 118 privates and sergeants. In total, since February 24, we have returned home 1,596 Ukrainian men and women.

Thanks to our team! Thanks to everyone who protects Ukraine! To everyone who is now on the front line! Thanks to everyone who fights for our country!

Thanks to Air Defense Forces! And please, citizens, don’t ignore the sirens. Thanks to our energy workers – everyone who removes the consequences of terrorist attacks.

It will be the New Year now.

We’ll be in touch with you the whole time!

We are all working.

Glory to Ukraine!

Source: President of Ukraine’s official website