Miroslav Placr

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Thank you, Friedrich, and all of Germany. It is Germany that has done a lot to help us defend ourselves against Russian terror. We greatly appreciate it. And thousands of lives have been saved thanks to the air defense systems provided by Germany. It is important that we continue to work together now, in a coordinated manner, to strengthen our Europe. Thank you!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Canada's role in taking firm action – often trailblazing – to ramp up pressure against Russia and in rallying allies across the Atlantic to support Ukraine is greatly appreciated by Ukrainians. Ultimately, this is what will help bring Russia's war to an end. Thank you, Mark, and all Canadians for your support and condolences.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I met with @thorsten_frei, Germany’s Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks, and Martin Jäger, President of the Federal Intelligence Service of Germany.

There were important signals of support following Russia’s massive strike. We discussed how we can accelerate our agreements with Germany on air defense in order to protect Ukrainians from such terror. Germany has repeatedly helped strengthen our air defense, and we hope for such leadership now as well.

We also discussed the Drone Deal that Ukraine has proposed to Germany. We are ready to strengthen those who have been strengthening us. And it will be fair to open all negotiating clusters for Ukraine – we have fulfilled all the requirements. We must seize the window of opportunity in the coming month. I am grateful to Germany for its support!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

The support of the European Union and your personal support, Ursula, are very important to us! We value everything our European friends are doing. Right now, it is important to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience and protect people’s lives.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Thank you for your support! We must do everything possible to ensure that Europe has enough of its own air defense systems of all types, including ballistic missile defense. Thank you, Emmanuel, for helping already to find the necessary means of protection and for the fact that we are all working together toward ballistic missile defense capabilities.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Thank you for your support! What is happening now is a threat to all neighbors. We must stand in solidarity and strengthen one another. We greatly appreciate that you are with us.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I held a Staff meeting. The first issue on the agenda was a detailed report from our military on the defensive operation carried out these days against a massive and virtually nonstop Russian attack that lasted nearly 48 hours. This is a deliberate terrorist tactic by the Russians, who amassed drones and missiles over a period of time and intentionally calculated the strike so that its scale would be significant, creating the greatest possible difficulties for our air defense.

In total, during the waves of massive attacks on May 13 and 14, the Russians used 1,567 drones and 56 missiles of various types. Our drone interception rate reached 94%. The missile interception rate was 73%. The key challenge is ballistic missiles and the protection of thousands of rear infrastructure facilities and our cities.

Together with military commanders, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Energy, and other involved officials, we held a detailed discussion on the current needs of our air defense forces and on increasing supplies of necessary equipment, including radars. Specific instructions on this were given to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Air Force, and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

There were also reports on the impact of strikes in various regions of our country – from Rivne and Ivano-Frankivsk to Kyiv and the Kharkiv region. In Kyiv, search and rescue operations are still ongoing at the site where an entire section of a residential building was practically destroyed from the 1st to the 9th floor as a result of this Russian attack. The fate of nearly 20 people who may have been inside the building remains unknown. As of now, seven people are confirmed dead and 39 injured in Kyiv alone. All necessary personnel from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the National Police, municipal services, and medical teams are engaged.

I am grateful to everyone who is helping at the strike sites and saving lives. I will also speak in detail with our diplomats about the current tasks related to securing missiles for air defense systems. Everyone must focus on anti-ballistic systems and missiles for them. This is priority number one, and the assessment of Ukrainian diplomacy’s work in May and June will depend, among other things, on sufficient supplies for the forces protecting our skies. I instructed the Defense Forces of Ukraine and the special services to propose possible formats for our response to this Russian attack.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

As of now, already 5 people have been reported killed in Kyiv as a result of last night’s Russian attack. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Around 40 people have been injured in the capital, and another 7 in the Kyiv region. There are already 28 injured in Kharkiv. And two people have been injured in the Odesa region. In total, 180 sites have been damaged across the country, including more than 50 ordinary residential buildings.

A search and rescue operation is still ongoing in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district. Efforts continue to find people under the rubble. More than 10 people are reported missing. All necessary services are also operating in the Obolonskyi district. And recovery efforts are underway after Russian strikes in the Poltava region. Overall, more than 750 personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and nearly 750 police officers have already been engaged across the country to eliminate the consequences of the attack. I am grateful to all who help the rescuers and the police

Also, earlier today, during a humanitarian mission in Kherson, the Russians twice attacked a vehicle of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs with FPV drones, and the Russians could not have been unaware of which vehicle they were targeting. The Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and eight other staff members were inside. Fortunately, no one was injured. The mission personnel have been evacuated.

Even so, a significant number of missiles and drones were shot down during these attacks – the overall interception rate is over 93%. Of course, it needs to be higher. And of course, the most difficult challenge is defending against ballistic missiles. I thank everyone who is helping us with this. There must be a just response to all these strikes. And pressure on Moscow must be such that they feel the consequences of their terror there. It is important that global sanctions against Russia remain in place. Russia’s accountability for this war, and our sanctions pressure, must work at full strength. And it is also very important that the world does not stay silent about this terror and stands with Ukraine.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

A rescue operation is currently underway in Kyiv at the site of a Russian drone strike on a nine-story residential building – an entire section of the building has been completely destroyed. Dozens of people have been rescued. Tragically, one person has been killed. My condolences to their family and loved ones. People may still be trapped under the rubble.

Overnight, the Russians launched more than 670 attack drones and 56 missiles against Ukraine. Ballistic, aeroballistic, and cruise missiles were used in the strikes. The main target of this attack was Kyiv. There is damage at twenty locations across the city – ordinary residential buildings, a school, a veterinary clinic, and other purely civilian infrastructure. Destruction has also been reported in the Kyiv region, while similar terrorist strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Kremenchuk, as well as port and residential areas in Chornomorsk.

In total, since midnight yesterday, Russia has used more than 1,560 drones against our cities and communities. These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end. It is important that partners do not remain silent about this strike. And it is equally important to continue supporting the protection of our skies. The PURL initiative is needed so that Ukraine can defend itself against ballistic strikes like these. And likewise, in the interests of everyone seeking peace, pressure on Russia must continue. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

The Bucharest Nine Summit is an important and necessary format. Today, we worked together with the B9 countries – Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Bulgaria, and Hungary – as well as with Nordic states – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The key thing is that we achieved concrete results: new agreements on the Drone Deals format and defense cooperation aimed at greater security in Ukraine and across Europe.

Today, Ukraine’s experience and our military expertise truly matter for our partners. And we are ready to help those who, from the very beginning of the full-scale war, have supported our people and continue to help our defense.

This is exactly how a fair partnership should work – where support becomes mutual, and joint decisions bring greater security for all our peoples.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Important message condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine from @magyarpeterMP. Moscow has once again shown itself to be a common threat not only to Ukraine, but also to neighbouring countries and Europe as a whole. The attack is still ongoing. The first missiles have been launched. Our common position matters for ending this brutal war. Thank you for your compassion and strong position!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I thank the President of Romania, @NicusorDanRO, for inviting me to the Bucharest Nine Summit. Today, we discussed a wide range of issues. It is important that we are moving with our partners towards technological cooperation.

I proposed to the President cooperation in a special Drone Deal format. We agreed that our teams will work through all the details. Special attention was given to Ukraine’s European integration. We are counting on moving as quickly as possible to the opening of negotiation clusters, and Romania’s support on this issue matters greatly to us. We also discussed the implementation of arrangements in various areas reached during my visit to Bucharest in March.

We value Romania’s solidarity and its readiness to work together for the security of our region, the strengthening of Europe, and for bringing closer a just peace.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

During my meeting with the President of Lithuania, @GitanasNauseda, we focused primarily on our defense cooperation and agreed to work together within the Drone Deal format: our countries now have such bilateral agreement. The agreement is intended to strengthen both our countries in defense, and importantly, it is built on the principle of reciprocity – we support our partners who provide real and tangible support for our defense.

A Ukrainian military expert team will work in Lithuania to develop the necessary security capabilities, first and foremost to counter modern threats and strengthen the security of our countries and the entire region. The challenges we face are shared, and we must overcome them together.

We value Lithuania’s principled support and its readiness to strengthen defense and make it truly capable of responding to any Russian attacks. I am also grateful to Gitanas Nausėda for his clear position on our European integration – all six negotiation clusters for Ukraine should be opened.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

With the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki @NawrockiKn, on the sidelines of the Bucharest Nine Summit, we had a substantive discussion on bilateral relations between Ukraine and Poland. Importantly, we share a common position: these relations must be truly strong and good-neighborly. We also discussed our potential contacts in the near future. I informed the President about our diplomatic work as well. In all these efforts, unity between Europe and the United States is essential.

We are grateful to Poland and the Polish people for all their support throughout the full-scale Russian aggression. The President reiterated that support for Ukraine will continue. We value this and our constructive dialogue.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

I met with the President of Latvia, @EdgarsRinkevics. Security cooperation was our main focus. We count on signing an agreement with Latvia in the Drone Deal format to build a multi-layered air defense system against different types of threats. I proposed this cooperation to the President. We will send our experts to Latvia to exchange experience and provide direct assistance in protecting the airspace. It is important to work together to strengthen Europe’s defense.

We also discussed the overall security situation in the region. The initial cause of all challenges and threats is Russia and its aggression. I am grateful that we share a common position on this.

Special attention was given to diplomatic work and Ukraine’s European integration. It is important to open all negotiation clusters as soon as possible, and there are now favorable conditions for this. Latvia consistently supports us in this regard, and I am grateful for it.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Discussed diplomatic efforts to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine and Europe’s role in this process with the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb @alexstubb. Transatlantic unity on the path to peace is essential. We coordinated our positions on the next steps.

Importantly, during our meetings, partners note Ukraine is now in its strongest battlefield position over the past year and has become a reliable security provider in Europe and other regions. Our teams are already working on preparing a Drone Deal, and we expect a prompt result. Special attention was given to Ukraine’s European integration. A necessary window of opportunity has now emerged to open all six negotiation clusters.

I thank Finland for its support of the PURL initiative, which is helping greatly protect lives in Ukraine, especially in light of massive Russian air strikes like the one we are seeing today. I am grateful for all of Finland’s support, and personally to Alex for his principled and consistent position on supporting Ukraine.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

It certainly cannot be called a coincidence that one of the longest massive Russian attacks against Ukraine takes place precisely at the time when the President of the United States arrived for a visit to China – a visit from which much is expected. In this difficult geopolitical moment, Russia is clearly trying to disrupt the overall political atmosphere and draw attention to its evil – seeking to do so at the expense of Ukrainian lives and Ukrainian infrastructure.

Throughout the entire day today, the Russians have been launching waves of “shaheds” against our regions – and, in particular, deliberately targeting regions closest to the borders of NATO countries. Hits have already been recorded in Zakarpattia, Lviv region, Volyn, as well as in Ivano-Frankivsk and Rivne regions. Unfortunately, there are also hits in many of our other regions – Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipro, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. As of now, dozens of people are reported injured, including children. Sadly, six people have been killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Since midnight, at least 800 Russian drones have already been launched, and the attack is ongoing, with additional drones entering our country’s airspace.

According to our intelligence, after all the waves of drones, missile launches against Ukraine are also entirely possible. Our warriors are defending Ukraine, but Russia’s obvious aim is to overload air defense systems and inflict as much grief and pain as possible specifically during these days. It is important that the world does not remain silent about this. It is important that Russia’s true intentions are made clear to leaders and countries. It is important to apply real pressure on the Russian aggressor so that this terror is brought to an end. All services are currently engaged in dealing with the consequences of the strikes. Please pay attention to air-raid alerts. I am grateful to every partner who stands with Ukraine!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Some people try to present these as two opposite goals – improving people’s quality of life and lowering living costs on the one hand, and strengthening security and defense capabilities on the other.

But we should remember that fuel prices, energy costs, and Europe’s competitiveness are targets for Russia just as much as our independence and the right of our peoples to choose their own future.

Russia attacks Europeans’ wallets just as much as it attacks their rights. That is why the stronger we are, the more stability our people will have.

From an intervention at the Bucharest Nine Summit. (5/5)

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

We’re not giving up on diplomatic efforts, and we hope that pressure on Russia, together with negotiations in different formats, will help bring peace. Sanctions are working, our long-range capabilities are working, and every form of pressure is working.

We are in constant contact with America. We expect the issue of ending Russia’s war against Ukraine to be raised now as well, while the President of the United States is in China.

But please do not forget that the most effective tools are those that can physically stop the Russians.

This is especially true for the PURL program, which allows us, here and now – while Europe still lacks enough anti-ballistic missile production – to buy anti-ballistic missiles. Please support PURL, it is critically important.

From an intervention at the Bucharest Nine Summit. (4/5)

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Right now, many may think that in modern warfare the main thing is simply to have the tools – interceptors, different types of drones, electronic warfare systems. But the reality of modern war is that military technology changes very quickly.

It is not enough just to have the tools – you also need real experience using them and the same speed of adaptation as the threat itself. Right now, only Ukraine has this experience, only our soldiers do. And that is why it is important not to waste time or money, but to build joint agreements and joint results.

This should also be reflected in the SAFE program, which gives Europe the opportunity to rearm now and adapt our European defense production to modern challenges.

“Together” is the key word for Europe so that everyone is protected.

From an intervention at the Bucharest Nine Summit. (3/5)