Ukraine: Zelensky promises to “devastate” Russian troops

In his televised New Year’s address, illustrated with images of Ukrainian artillery and fighter jets, Volodymyr Zelensky promised to “devastate” Russian troops. The announcement came less than 72 hours after Moscow launched numerous missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities, killing 39 people in one of the worst air attacks since the war began.

“Ukraine is alive. Ukraine lives. Ukraine is at war. Ukraine is moving forward, Ukraine is crossing the path. Ukraine wins. Ukraine is working. Ukraine exists. And in general, this is not a New Year’s miracle, not a fairy tale or magic, but the merit of each of you,” said the Ukrainian president.

And he added: “Ukraine has become stronger. Ukrainians have become stronger. 676 days ago we were all challenged. Rockets were flying towards us from all sides and enemy attacks were approaching from all sides. 676 days ago, it was in this place that I addressed you, the Ukrainians, and announced the beginning of a full-scale war. We didn’t know then what awaited us. Many did not believe that we would last a week. Few believed that we would survive until 2022, and even fewer until 2023. And today 2024 awaits us.”

“Our enemies will see what our anger looks like”

Congratulating the military, doctors, firefighters, teachers, railway workers and even diplomats, business workers, as well as volunteers, Vladimir Zelensky said: “The enemies are really very afraid of you. This is not about international organizations with political appeals, but about the Ukrainian spirit of the Ukrainian people, which has proven, is proving and will continue to prove that we are stronger.” He recalled that in 2023 Ukraine was subjected to almost 6 thousand air raids.

In 2024, President Zelensky believes that “the enemy will feel the wrath of national production.” Our weapons, our equipment, our artillery, our shells, our drones.” According to him, the army will have a million drones, as well as American F-16 fighters. “Our pilots have already mastered the F-16, and I am confident that we will soon see them in our skies,” he said. This way our enemies will see what our anger looks like.”

However, despite billions of dollars in Western military aid, Ukraine failed to achieve a major breakthrough in its counteroffensive against Russian forces in the summer of 2023. Worse, Moscow has increased pressure on the front line, capturing the town of Maryinka in early December and seeking to take control of Kupyansk in the northeast of the country.

And the situation appears to have stalled amid increasingly brutal air attacks from Russia and Ukraine. On Saturday, a Ukrainian attack on Belgorod killed 24 people, and the day before Russia launched a missile attack on Ukraine that Kyiv called “massive”, killing about forty people. On New Year’s Eve, Ukrainian strikes killed one person in the Odessa region in southern Ukraine and four in Donetsk in the country’s east, local authorities said.

Russia will “never back down”

For his part, Vladimir Putin, in his New Year’s greetings, praised his army and the “unity” of Russia, which will “never retreat.” “We have proven more than once that we can solve the most difficult problems and that we will never retreat, because no force can divide us,” he said on television, wanting to create an image of a unifier ahead of the presidential elections. in March.

And he added: “In 2023, “we firmly defended our national interests, our freedom and our security, our values,” promising our fellow citizens that Russia, which is going through a “historic stage,” will become “even stronger” next year.