Ukrainians!
Today, I signed the decree awarding the title of Hero of Ukraine to Serhiy Sova. A fighter of the glorious 93rd mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar". He has defended our state - Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2014, fought for Pisky, for the Donetsk airport. After February 24, he fought in the Kharkiv region.
Serhiy Sova gave his life for Ukraine. We've all seen the photo of his hand with blue and yellow bracelets on his wrist. He has worn them as a talisman since 2014. And this photo was one of the first from Izyum, from the mass burial site in the forest that was discovered when the occupiers fled. He was a true warrior and a father that one can be proud of. Eternal memory and honor to the hero!
Eternal glory to all our warriors who gave their lives in battles for our state!
Today I awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery" to three of our brigades. The 1st separate tank Siversk brigade, the 40th separate artillery brigade, the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, the fighters of the 1st separate tank brigade have performed their tasks with dignity and courage. First in the Chernihiv region, and now in the hottest spots of the south and east of our country. In six months, more than a thousand warriors of this brigade were awarded state awards.
Units of the 40th separate artillery brigade defend the state in the Kharkiv direction and do it very bravely and effectively. The proven losses of the Russian army from the fire of this brigade of ours make it clear to all the occupiers that there will be no place for the enemy on our land.
This month, the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade achieved good results in the south of our country, liberating a number of settlements in the Kherson region. During the period of the full-scale invasion of Russia, three warriors in the 57th brigade were already awarded the "Gold Star" Order and 275 servicemen received state awards.
By the way, since the establishment of such an award for our military units - and it was established in May of this year - 46 military units have already been awarded for courage and bravery. Of them, 38 military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, four military units of the State Border Service, four military units of the National Guard. I am grateful to all of you, guys! Well done!
The heroism and grit of our warriors, the striving for independence and justice, which united all our people, do not leave a single doubt that Ukraine will prevail and that all invaders on our territory will definitely be defeated. Unless they run away. Indeed, it is true.
Once again I want to say to Russians in Russian.
It was no coincidence that the criminal mobilization declared by Russia was immediately called a “mobilization to graves” by the citizens of Russia themselves. Mobilization to graves. The Russian authorities are well aware that they are sending their citizens to death - there are no other options.
Russian commanders do not care about the lives of Russians - they just need to replenish the empty spaces left by the dead, wounded, those who fled or the Russian soldiers that were captured.
Your government does not care who will take these places. Either young IT specialists who did not serve at all, or pensioners who served only in the Soviet army. So, the key moment has come for you: right now it is being decided whether your life will end or not.
It is better not to take a conscription letter than to die in a foreign land as a war criminal.
It is better to run away from criminal mobilization than to be crippled and then bear responsibility in the court for participating in the war of aggression.
It is better to surrender to Ukrainian captivity than to be killed by the strikes of our weapons, absolutely fair strikes, as Ukraine defends itself in this war. We defend the brightest - we defend our lives, our children, our freedom.
What is Russia fighting for? Every citizen of Russia knows - even if many do not admit it, they know for sure - that it is Russia that brings evil.
Ukraine guarantees every Russian soldier who surrenders three things. First, you will be treated in a civilized manner, in accordance with all conventions. Second, no one will know the circumstances of your surrender, no one in Russia will know that your surrender was voluntary. And third, if you are afraid to return to Russia and do not want an exchange, we will find a way to ensure this as well.
Ukraine will do everything for its victory. And every citizen of Russia should understand: no tricks will help the occupier. I promise you that.
We will retaliate against every strike of the aggressor - at Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Nikopol, Donbas, at all our cities and regions... We will definitely liberate our entire country - from Kherson to the Luhansk region, from Crimea, I emphasize that, to the Donetsk region.
We will not allow the occupier to go unpunished. Every murderer and torturer will be brought to justice for what he did against us, Ukrainians.
Eternal glory to all our heroes!
Glory to our indomitable people!
Eternal memory to all those who gave their lives for our homeland - for Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!