In a video address to the nation, president Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian army has de-occupied 41 towns and villages in the south of Ukraine.

The president thanked all Ukrainian heroes who defend the homeland.

‘But while rejoicing, we must all remember now and always what this movement means: every step of our Defense Forces is the lives of our soldiers. Lives given for freedom of Ukrainians. Everything that is happening now has been achieved by months of struggle. It has been achieved through courage, pain, and losses. It is not the enemy going away; it is the Ukrainians who are driving the occupiers out at great cost’, Zelensky said.

He added that the same happened before in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

The president concluded that the country will go to the end to restore its border and to return Ukrainian flags to all cities and villages.