14 February 2013, 09:00
To the veterans of the Great Patriotic War
and all citizens of Luhansk
I sincerely and cordially greet you on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the city from Nazi occupation.
On this day we honor the soldiers of the 3rd Guards Army, 17th Air Force, 262nd Night Bomber Aviation Division and all those who as far back as February 1943 liberated the city from Nazi invasion. Lugansk became the first regional center that gave start to Ukraine’s liberation.
For seven decades the respected veterans have always been at the forefront of various spheres of public life. They have been reviving the city, its factories and industrial giants as well as socio-cultural objects of the region. During the years of independence they have been persistently creating new sovereign Ukrainian state.
I am convinced that inextinguishable memory of hard times of war will be not just a warning, but a uniting force leading each compatriot to civic harmony and enhancement of new creative achievements.
On this day I wish the liberators of the city and all those who multiply the glory of Luhansk region sound health, welfare and prospering future for the good of Ukraine.
May there always be peace and harmony on the free Ukrainian land!
Volodymyr RYBAK