Zelensky in Izyum: Residents of captured territories should know that Ukraine will return

The Head of State said this while talking to journalists in de-occupied Izyum during a working trip to Kharkiv region, the President’s press service informs.

"We should send signals to our people who, unfortunately, are still under occupation. And my signal to the people in Crimea: we know that these are our people, and it is a terrible tragedy that they have been under occupation for more than eight years. We will return there. I don't know when exactly. But we have plans, and we will return there because this is our land and our people," the President said.

Zelensky noted that the residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea had been under the pressure of the propaganda of the Russian Federation all these years, but when Ukraine returns to the peninsula, Crimeans will see the falsehood of Russian television and propaganda.

"Because we know that the truth is on our side," the Head of State emphasized.

The Ukrainian defenders are given warm welcome in the liberated territories, the President pointed out. "This is a very emotional moment. This means that life is coming back together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he said.

Talking about his impressions of what he saw in the de-occupied Izyum, Zelensky noted that he knew this region very well even before he became the President of Ukraine, so what he saw was shocking.

"What we see is shocking, although we have already seen this in Bucha, in the first de-occupied territories. Likewise, destroyed buildings, killed people... Unfortunately, this is part of our history today. And this is part of the modern Russian nation – what they did," the Head of State noted.

He thanked international partners for sending investigators and prosecutors to Ukraine, who help in collecting materials related to crimes committed by Russia in the de-occupied territories.

"We all understand that this process takes time. Our Prosecutor General’s Office is working, performing important tasks. They enable both journalists and investigators to come to these places and find important details," the President said.

Zelensky emphasized that the main thing for Ukraine is to remain as open as possible in these issues.

"And then, I am sure, there will be verdicts for all this, there will be a tribunal. I don't doubt it for a second," the Head of State summed up.

Photo credit: President’s Office

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