Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Thursday to “rebuild everything” destroyed in Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s war ahead of a recovery summit in London.
He told how his government was engaged in detailed planning for the Ukraine Recovery Conference in the UK capital.
“Not only today, but throughout the week, we have been preparing very substantively for the Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in London next week,” he said in his overnight address.
“This will be a significant event, very representative, which will unite both political and business efforts to restore our country and normal life for our people.
“The key Ukrainian principle is simple and fair, namely: no ruins will be left in Ukraine.
“We will rebuild everything, restore everything, and we know exactly what steps need to be taken in what timeframe and with what forces to defeat Russian aggression and rebuild our country.
“When the ruins disappear, it is not just the aggressor who loses, but the idea of aggression itself. And it will happen.”
He explained further: “Every day, in preparation for this London conference, we hold long and thorough preparatory meetings - all the necessary state institutions are involved, at different levels.
“And we are doing everything to ensure that the appropriate level of international agreements is prepared for our vision, the Ukrainian vision, which is, as always, meaningful.”
Many eastern Ukrainian towns, villages and cities, including Mariupol and Bakhmut, were largely destroyed by Russian missile, drone and artillery strikes, killing thousands of civilians.
Numerous attacks have also been launched on the capital Kyiv, on other cities as far west as Lviv, as well as on key civilian infrastructure such as electricity power plants and water networks during Putin’s war launched in February 2022.
The conference, being held next Wednesday and Thurday, aims to mobilise international support for Ukraine’s economic and social stabilisation and recovery from the effects of war, including through emergency assistance for immediate needs and financing private sector participation in the reconstruction process.
In further destruction in Ukraine, Russian missiles hit two industrial facilities in the central Ukrainian city Kryvyi Rih in the early hours of Thursday, city mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said, with a drone attack also reported in Odesa.
Mr Vilkul said three rockets hit two industrial enterprises “that had nothing to do with the military,” injuring one 38-year-old man. One car was damaged with debris of missiles downed by air defenses.
“The destruction is significant,” he wrote on Telegram messaging app.
In the southern port city of Odesa, authorities said air defences on Thursday downed all 18 Russian drones that approached the region.
Authorities in Russia-controlled Crimea also reported a drone attack, saying they had downed nine Ukrainian drones.
