“Today I spoke with the Prime Minister of Canada. I informed him about the situation on the battlefield, about the consequences of Russian terror. We discussed what exactly can strengthen our positions,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a traditional address to the Ukrainian nation on September 3.
Dear Ukrainians!
First of all, about the tragedy in Poltava. Rescue efforts are still underway – the rubble is being cleared. All services are involved. As of now, the number of injured is 271 people. Everyone is being provided with the necessary assistance. I am grateful to all the rescuers, doctors, medical nurses and all the Poltava residents who have joined in to help, donated blood, and who provide support. We know that there are people under the rubble of the destroyed building. Everything is being done to save as many lives as possible. According to current information available, this Russian strike killed 51 people. My condolences to all the families and friends. Law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine are investigating all the circumstances of this tragedy. The Russians carried out this strike with two ballistic missiles. The air raid alert was sounded. Everything else – every detail – must be established and verified during the investigation.
Today, I held a meeting of the Staff. We had a substantive discussion about the use of air defense and about the protection of our cities and communities. Steps have been identified to improve the effective use of the systems we already have. We are also working on obtaining additional defense for Ukraine. We are counting heavily on the Patriot that Romania is preparing to hand over; I will be grateful for this step of assistance from Romania. This is something that will truly support our people, our country, our entire region.
Full text of the address: Office of the President of Ukraine
