"Ukrainians! Ukrainian women!

Our defenders, our defender women!

Today we finally managed to start evacuating people from 'Azovstal'. After many weeks of negotiations, after many attempts, meetings, calls, countries, proposals. Finally! There was no day when we did not try to find a solution that would ensure the rescue of our people.

For the first time since the beginning of the war, today this life-saving corridor worked. For the first time there were two days of ceasefire in this territory. Over one hundred civilians have already been evacuated — mainly women and children who escaped from combat operations right there, at 'Azovstal'.

Considering all the difficulties of the process, the first evacuees will arrive in Zaporizhzhia tomorrow morning. God willing, may this not unravel! There our team will meet them. I hope that tomorrow all necessary conditions will be met to continue evacuating people from Mariupol as well. We plan to start at eight o'clock.

I am also grateful to everyone who participated in preparing for the rescue of people and who ensures this humanitarian corridor. To each and every one who negotiated, including Iryna Vereshchuk as coordinator of this process. Our intelligence team. Our team — David, Andriy. As well as partners who joined and were able to help, especially from the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

We will continue doing everything possible to evacuate our people from 'Azovstal', from Mariupol in general. Organizing such humanitarian corridors is one element of the ongoing negotiation process, which is very complex. But no matter how difficult it was, we managed to save over 350 thousand people from areas of combat operations.

I discussed key issues of assistance to our country with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who visited Kyiv along with a Congressional delegation.

We are grateful to all partners who send such important and powerful signals of support to Ukraine by visiting our capital under these conditions and at this difficult time.

Four hours of very substantive talks were held with Ms. Pelosi — as they say, multi-faceted. Including on defense supplies, macro-financial assistance, sanctions policy, political interaction with the United States of America.

I thanked for reviving the historical lend-lease program that once helped defend freedom in Europe and can do so again. We discussed specific directions — how lend-lease could work to strengthen our country as much as possible and help in the fight for freedom.

Also, I thanked for preparing a large aid package for Ukraine worth $33 billion USD.

We discussed how we might strengthen sanctions against Russia so that they most effectively encourage it to end the war and limit any possibilities of Russia circumventing already imposed or future sanctions. Felt support for our initiatives.

In recognition of her significant personal contribution to strengthening our interaction and sincere involvement in defending freedom, I awarded Ms. Pelosi with the Order of Princess Olha.

Today Russian troops continued striking at the territory of our country. What they choose as targets once again shows that the war against Ukraine for the Russian army is a war of annihilation. They hit agricultural enterprises stockpiles. Destroyed a grain storage facility. Also shelled a fertilizer storage facility. Continued hitting residential areas in Kharkiv region, on Donbas and so forth.

They are reinforcing forces in southern parts of the country to try attacking our cities and communities in Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

What could be a strategic success for Russia in this war? Honestly — I don't know. Ruined lives and burned or stolen property by Russia will not give anything. Only increase the toxicity of the Russian state and the number of those around the world who work towards isolating Russia.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are responding to aggressors with every blow they deliver. And will continue to respond until occupiers leave our land.

I am grateful to all our defenders, all our defender women. To each and every one who has defended the state since February 24th, and since 2014.

Only in 67 days of full-scale war, already 143 soldiers have been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Over 10,600 defenders and defender women have received state awards of Ukraine.

Eternal glory to all who stood up for the defense of the country!

Eternal memory to all who gave their lives for Ukraine! Thank you.

Glory to Ukraine!"