Zelensky is “shocked” by the devastation of the newly liberated city of Izyum after the Russian occupation

CNN
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Newly liberated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the northeastern region of Kharkiv on Wednesday, five days after troops arrived from the country to retake the city.

Footage on the Facebook page showed Zelensky’s military unit in a ceremony in the main square to raise the Ukrainian flag over the city’s administrative building. Hanna Maliar, Deputy Defense Minister, was also present.

“Before, when we were looking up, we were always looking at the blue sky. Today, when we are looking up, we are looking for only one thing: the flag of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a message on the presidential telegram channel.

“Our blue and yellow flag is already flying in the process of decolonizing Izyum. And so it will be in every Ukrainian town and village. We are moving in one direction – forward and towards victory.

“I want to thank you for saving our people, our hearts, our children and our future,” Zelensky said, according to a statement posted on the presidential website.

“It has been very difficult for you these past few months. Therefore, I ask you to take care of yourselves, because you are the most precious thing we have.

It may be possible to temporarily occupy the territory of our state. But it is definitely impossible to occupy our people, the Ukrainian people.

A minute of silence took place during the ceremony to remember those lost during the military operations.

Ukrainian forces recaptured Izium on Saturday, dealing a major strategic blow to Russia’s military offensive in the east.

The city, located near the border between the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, was under Russian occupation for more than five months and became an important center for the invading army. Moscow was using Izium as a springboard for attacks south into the Donetsk and Kobyansk regions, about 30 miles north of Izium, as a rail hub to resupply its forces.

Zelensky told reporters that he was “shocked” by the number of “destroyed buildings” and “dead people” left behind as a result of the Russian occupation.

“Unfortunately, this is part of our history today. This is part of the modern Russian nation — which they have done.

He also thanked foreign governments for sending investigators and prosecutors to investigate allegations of human rights violations by the occupying forces in Ukraine, adding that all occupied areas will eventually be returned.

We must send signals to our people who, unfortunately, are still under occupation. And my references to the people of Crimea: We know that they are our people, and it is a terrible tragedy that they have been under occupation for more than eight years. we will be back. I don’t know exactly when. But we have plans. »

Pointing to the success of the military offensive under way in Kiev, Zelensky said on Tuesday that 8,000 square kilometers (3,088 square miles) of land is now being liberated by Ukrainian forces so far this month, close to half of the area still under “stabilization” measures. .

On Monday, the president said that most of the territory that Ukrainian forces have recaptured since early September is concentrated in the northeastern and southern regions of the country.