Zelensky congratulates Ukraine's defenders from frontline command post

The head of state recorded his video address at a command post on the front line, according to Ukrinform.

"Here, on a wooden floor, among camouflage nets, of course, among our patches and our flags – in places like this, without exaggeration, the fate of Ukraine, Europe and the free world is decided. This is where independence is won. And the path to peace runs through these very labyrinths, these very corridors. And when we say, 'Ukraine is holding on,' this resilience begins right here at the front, in command posts like this and at every one of our positions where Ukraine is present, because Ukraine has defenders, it has defendresses. It has our warriors. People who turn places like these into places of our true strength, Ukrainian strength," Zelensky said.

He noted that today marks the 1,681st day of the full-scale war, but despite the attacks, strikes and pain, Ukraine is holding on, destroying the occupier and achieving what Ukraine needs.

"All this is thanks to our defenders and defendresses holding the line. I thank you. Everyone who is defending our lives, defending our values, Ukraine's right to exist and our future – our entire beautiful state," Zelensky said.

He expressed gratitude to everyone who wears a patch on their shoulder and holds up Ukraine's independence – infantry, airborne troops, intelligence, air defense, combat aviation, the naval forces, artillery, communications troops, engineers, everyone in the Armed Forces and Special Operations Forces, the National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, the police and border guards. "We are grateful to all of you, proud of all of you, and we value all our Security and Defense Forces," Zelensky said.

Zelensky separately mentioned combat commanders, including Yevhenii Khmara, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Pavlo Palisa, Denys Prokopenko, Andrii Biletskyi, Emil Ishkulov, Oleh Apostol, Valerii Skred and Ihor Obolienskyi, "as well as hundreds and hundreds of thousands of our warriors who stand as a shield so that Ukraine remains our home."

Zelensky also separately honored fallen defenders and defendresses.

"In the military, they know well the words of soldier and poet Maksym Kryvtsov: 'When I am asked what war is, I will answer without hesitation: names.' Vitalii Skakun, Da Vinci, Nazarii Hryntsevych – Hrenka, Dzhus, Andrii Verkhohliad, Iryna Tsybukh, Petrychenko, Oleksandr Matsiievskyi, and many other names of this war. And in every Ukrainian family, in each of us, there are such names – names we truly want to remember, names that make us cry, names we are proud of, and names to whom we are grateful," he said.

Addressing the soldiers currently defending the state, Zelensky said: "We congratulate you. Every man and woman defending Ukraine. With gratitude and respect to all our defenders and defendresses, today we all say the most important thing: glory to you! Glory to Ukraine!"