Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with CEO of Fox Corporation Lachlan Murdoch, who arrived on a visit to Ukraine.
The meeting was also attended by The Sun journalist Jerome Starkey and Fox News Channel journalist Benjamin Hall, who was covering the war in Ukraine, was seriously wounded on March 14, 2022 near Kyiv, was saved by doctors and has now returned to Ukraine.
The Head of the President's Office emphasized that the United States is a strategic partner of Ukraine, so it is very important that the American audience learns about what is happening in our country directly from the scene of events from the leading US media.
In particular, the CEO of Fox Corporation was briefed on the situation at the frontline, protection of Ukrainian skies, the state of the energy sector, the consequences of Russian aggression for civilians and infrastructure, Russian crimes against Ukrainian children, and cooperation between Ukraine, the United States and other international partners in countering full-scale Russian aggression.
During the briefing on the security situation, moderated by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Roman Mashovets, representatives of the Ukrainian security and defense forces spoke about the overall situation in the combat zone and Ukraine's successes in the Black Sea. They also discussed air and missile threats from Russia with the onset of winter and the importance of further strengthening Ukraine's air defense system.
Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleksiy Kuleba informed that in more than 630 days of full-scale Russian aggression in Ukraine, more than 200,000 objects have been damaged, 25,000 of them completely destroyed. The scale of Russian crimes against civilians was also illustrated by specific examples of residents of Bucha and Yahidne in Chernihiv region, and by Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral as an example of cultural heritage.
Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Dariia Zarivna spoke about the crimes committed by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian children. As of today, 554 children have been killed, the youngest of whom was only two days old. 19 thousand 546 children, on whom there is confirmed information, were abducted and brought to Russia by force and fraud, but in fact this figure is much higher and may exceed a hundred thousand. So far, only 386 young Ukrainians have been returned.
Joint international efforts are needed to counter this wave of crimes against our children, and that is why President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has initiated the Bring Kids Back UA strategic action plan, which can be joined by any country, organization or individual and which is in line with clause four of the Ukrainian Peace Formula on the release of captives and deportees.
"Today it is very important to know the truth and to tell it. I hope this will be useful for a deeper understanding of what is happening in Ukraine today," said Andriy Yermak.
As part of Lachlan Murdoch's visit to Kyiv, the Head of the Office of the President and the CEO of Fox Corporation visited Mykhailivska Square. They laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine.
Lachlan Murdoch also visited the National Conservation Area “St. Sophia of Kyiv”, where he was told about the history of St. Sophia Cathedral.
In addition, the Fox Corporation CEO met with representatives of all religious denominations, including those who survived Russian captivity and occupation. He was told about how representatives of the clergy are supporting the Ukrainian military and civilians in these difficult times for Ukraine.
