The day will come when all the perpetrators of war crimes against Ukrainians will be brought to justice in the halls of the International Criminal Court and national courts.
The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
The full text of the speech is provided below:
Dear Ukrainians!
A year ago, the Russian military committed one of the worst crimes of this war. Russian bombs destroyed a theater in Mariupol. A building that was used as a shelter. There were women with children, pregnant women, and the elderly. A civilian object deliberately destroyed by the occupier. We still don't know the exact number of victims. Hundreds of people? A thousand?
The inscriptions "Children" next to the building clearly indicated who became the target for Russia. One of many such targets. The evil state will be held accountable for each of them.
In mid-March last year, the occupier was still in the north of our country. In many places in the Kharkiv region. The enemy had completely different positions in the south. But already then we began to drive them out. The day will come when we will liberate Mariupol. Our entire south. Our entire east. Just like we liberated our other cities.
The day will come when a tribunal will be established to bring justice to our people. A tribunal that will punish this aggressor in the same way as the aggressors of the past were punished.
We will do all the legal work. We will mobilize all the partners that are necessary for this. This is already being done. Every day we bring justice closer to Ukraine. We work for this every day. The Prosecutor General and his Office, Ukrainian law enforcers, special services, the government, diplomats, my Office.
Rashism will not be able to remain unpunished evil. There will be punishment. And if some terrorists hope to hide somewhere... It will not work for them.
All those who bombed Ukraine. Who burned our villages, who shelled Ukrainian cities... Mykolaiv, Kherson, Nikopol and Marhanets, Zaporizhzhia, cities of Donbas, Kharkiv, Kharkiv region. All those who carry out terrorist fire against the communities of Chernihiv and Sumy regions... All those who brought the war to Donetsk and Luhansk. All those who tried to enslave Crimea. All Rashists will be held accountable. They will be held to account for every Ukrainian life taken.
Eternal memory to all our people, all adults and children whose lives were taken by Russian terror!
Today I spoke with the British Prime Minister. Generally, we talked about how to increase our defense capabilities. As always, it was a very concrete conversation, and I thank Rishi, I thank all the British people for their unflagging and attentive support. There will be the results of the conversation. Our warriors will see them.
Today I also met with the Prime Minister of Latvia in Kyiv. I thanked him for the new defense package for our country, for the principled support at all levels - from weapons to politics, from sanctions against Russia to legal issues.
We are constantly working on two directions of our foreign policy - European and Euro-Atlantic. With all our partners. With officials and public figures, with politicians and all other communities that have influence.
I thank Latvia for supporting Ukraine on both of these paths. The European Union and NATO. Today we spoke with Prime Minister Kariņš about the respective prospects for this year.
Ukraine has always been Europe. Ukraine will always be Europe. Russian bombs will not change the objective reality. The reality that Ukrainians are defending.
I thank everyone who is fighting now near Maryinka, near Bakhmut, near Avdiivka, in Luhansk region, on the frontline in the south. I thank everyone who makes Russia admit the fact that responsibility for evil is inevitable.
Paratroopers of the 79th brigade - I am thankful to you today as well! The 35th and 36th separate marine brigades - thank you guys! Warriors of the 55th separate artillery brigade - well done! The 74th separate reconnaissance battalion - thank you! I thank the warriors of the National Guard who are fighting in the east together with all our defense forces. Battalion groups of the Central and Western operational and territorial units of the National Guard - thank you, guys! Zaporizhzhia direction: the 128th separate mountain assault brigade and the 44th separate artillery brigade - as always, well done! Kharkiv region: the 3rd separate tank Iron brigade, the 1st separate Bohun special forces brigade, the 127th separate brigade of the territorial defense - thank you, warriors!
Glory to each and every one who is now fighting for Ukraine!
I am grateful to each and every one who brings accountability for the evil state closer!
All of Ukraine will be free.
Glory to Ukraine!
Photo, video: Office of the President of Ukraine
