HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY OF UKRAINE!

Dear fellow brothers and sisters in arms, Ukrainians, we wish you a Happy Independence Day of Ukraine!

Throughout Ukrainian history, a free, independent, and modern Ukrainian state was the dream of our ancestors. They fought for it, nurtured it, and devoted all their strength to building it.

Only 35 years ago, we succeeded in turning this dream into reality — not for a brief period of time. On August 24, 1991, Ukraine became an independent, free, modern democracy — the country our ancestors had dreamed of.

However, the expansionist ambitions of one of our neighbouring countries gave it no peace. Independent Ukraine became a thorn in the side of the Russian regime. They could not accept the fact that our country was developing, building its future, and reaching toward the progressive values of Western civilization.

We understood that our struggle for Independence was not yet over. Russia’s hybrid attempts to subjugate Ukraine began immediately after we gained our historic independence in 1991. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and invaded the eastern part of our country. In 2022, the full-scale war began.

Today, our warriors continue the historic struggle for an independent Ukraine. We are now at a historic turning point. The very existence of our state is at stake. Every Ukrainian must understand this.

We thank everyone who has joined the Defence Forces of Ukraine and is defending our Independence with weapons in hand. We thank the volunteers who support our warriors. And we thank everyone who is contributing to the bright future of the Ukrainian state that we have dreamed of.

We are confident that at this historic moment, we will achieve victory. We will prove to the world that Ukraine deserves to be respected and supported. We will preserve our Independence and give our children a happy future in the country we have dreamed of!