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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy marks 200 days of war, praises troops
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked 200 days since the country's war against Russia began by paying tribute to the nation's military, emergency services and those who are suffering from the conflict.
In his evening address on Sunday (Sep 11), he thanked them for helping destroy “2,000 enemy tanks, 4,500 armoured combat vehicles, more than 1,000 enemy artillery systems, 250 airplanes, 200 helicopters, 1,000 drones, 15 ships and boats and thousands of other enemy equipment”
Zelenskyy also said he was “certain” that Ukrainians would get through this “difficult path to victory.”
He made those remarks as Ukrainian troops successfully pressed their swift counteroffensive in the northeastern part of the country.
"In the Kharkiv direction, we began to advance not only to the south and east, but also to the north. There are 50 km to go to the state border (with Russia)," Ukraine's chief commander General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram.
He said the country's armed forces have regained control of more than 3000sq km since the beginning of this month.
200 days of our resistance. The most important, and therefore the most difficult, is ahead. And I want to dedicate this address to those who are ahead. Who are having the hardest time now, as they are doing the most important thing. These are all defenders of Ukraine. All those who have been courageously standing for 200 days, being the exact reason why Ukraine stands. Strong, and that is why we are free. Unbreakable, and that is why we are independent. Our fighters, who heroically restrained the enemy, and now they do not restrain themselves. And they drive the occupiers out in the north, south and east. In all directions, but moving in only one direction - forward and towards victory.
Posted by Володимир Зеленський on Sunday, September 11, 2022
The fall of Izium marked Russian forces' worst defeat since they were were pushed back from the capital Kyiv in March, as thousands of Russian soldiers left behind ammunition and equipment as they fled.
President Zelensky: Ukraine has recaptured more than 1,000 square kilometres
"I believe that this winter is a turning point, and it can lead to the rapid de-occupation of Ukraine," Zelensky said in comments to a political forum published on his website late on Saturday.
"We see how they (occupiers) are fleeing in some directions. If we were a little stronger with weapons, we would de-occupy faster."
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