26 August 2014, 08:00
To veterans of the Great Patriotic War,
to citizens of Izmail, Odesa Oblast
Dear friends!
I sincerely congratulate you on the 70th anniversary of liberating your glorious city from fascist invaders.
On this memorable day we bow low to the bright memory of warriors, partisans, undergrounders, and homefront workers – Ukrainians and Jews, Russians and Moldavians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Poles and representatives of many other nationalities who protected the Izmail land during the Great Patriotic War. Their names are forever engraved in a heroic chronicle of the fight against the enemy.
Dear veterans, you have defended freedom and independence of our Homeland, restored your native city, brought up your children, you are raising your grand and great-grand children and passing on your priceless experience to future generations. Today more than ever we understand what price we have to pay for a peaceful sky and serenity on our free land.
From the bottom of my heart I wish you, citizens of this heroic city, sound health, harmony and welfare, the good and success for the benefit of sovereign Ukraine!
Oleksandr TURCHYNOV