"EVEN IF YOU DESTROY ALL OUR UKRAINIAN CATHEDRALS AND CHURCHES, YOU WILL NOT DESTROY OUR FAITH IN UKRAINE AND GOD"
On the eighth day of the war, the Ukrainian president appealed to the people.
"The first hours and days of full-scale war were really very difficult. But we were united, and that means strong and it means we withstood. And that is how it will be, going forward. And we are still standing. Russia's rocket and bomb blows on Ukrainian cities are a sign that they were not able to do anything substantial in our land. All lines of our defense have been maintained. In none of the strategic directions has the enemy had success. They have been suppressed. They are doomed," Vladimir Zelensky emphasized.
In his speech the president specifically mentioned the rocket shelling by the occupiers of the Dormition cathedral in Kharkov:
"Kiev withstood this night and survived another rocket bombardment. Our air defenses have worked. Kherson, Izyum, all other cities where the occupiers struck from the air, struck strongly, powerfully, did not give them anything. Chernigov, Sumy, Nikolaev maintainted defense. They also want to destroy Odessa. But they will see only the bottom of the Black Sea. Because they are the bottom.
"Russia's target was the Dormition cathedral in Kharkov. One of the most ancient Orthodox monuments of the city, a Ukrainian monument. During the war the cathedral is open for people of Kharkov. Open for all people, both believers and nonbelievers. For all, because all are equal. A sacred place. Now battered by war. They are not even afraid of this! They are taking advantage of the fact that God does not make an instantaneous response. But he sees. And he responds. He responds so that you cannot hide. There is no such bunker where you can survive God's response. And we will restore the cathedral exactly, so that no traces of the war remain there. And even if you destroy all our Ukrainian cathedrals and churches, you will not destroy our sincere faith in Ukraine and in God. Faith in the people. We will restore each building, each street, each city. And we say to Russia: learn the words 'reparations' and 'contributions.' You will repay everything to us that you did against Ukraine. In full. And those who perished, we will not forget. We are together with God." (tr. by PDS, posted 3 March 2022)
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