President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his traditional evening speech, separately addressed the residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"Donbas, remember what they said about you. No one has ever brought Donbass to its knees and no one will. These words in Donetsk, these words in Luhansk everyone knows. They were often repeated before, even before now. Donbas, now is the time. We appeal to all the people in the temporarily occupied territories. To all who hear us. Fight. Fight for your rights, for Ukraine. Together with all other Ukrainian cities," Zelensky urged.
Separately, the president appealed to those who believed Russian TV that Ukraine supposedly hates the region and will attack it. He also asked to compare Donetsk after eight years of war and Kharkiv after only eight days, to look at the cities destroyed by Russia.
" She did everything before your eyes. So defend yourselves, otherwise she will take your lives and your homes too. Ukraine does not shoot at its own, we do not blow up residential houses. Everyone in the Donbas has been and will be Ukrainians for us," Zelensky added.
