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  • Sally-Ann Hart – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Sally-Ann Hart – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Sally-Ann Hart, the Conservative MP for Hastings and Rye, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    It is a pleasure to speak under your chairship, Mr Grey. Burning trees for energy generation in the UK has been somewhat disguised as a sustainable and climate-friendly practice that will help us achieve our 2050 net zero goals. I therefore congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) on bringing this important matter forward for debate, because the sad reality is that the UK burns more wood in large-scale electricity production than any other country in the world, even though burning forest biomass actually emits more carbon than burning coal per unit of energy produced. Forests and ecosystems across the globe, including protected nature reserves, are being harmed by our demand for wood pellets. That is devastating for our planet and runs counter to our nature and biodiversity commitments.

    As we are all aware and as many have mentioned, the recent BBC “Panorama” documentary on the sustainability of biomass power generation discovered that Drax, a UK-based company that apparently engages in renewable power generation, bought licences to cut down two areas of environmentally important forest in western Canada for wood pellets. That is a tragedy, as much of those forests is old growth and cannot be replaced. They store massive amounts of carbon and they have never been logged before. They are not regarded as a sustainable source for energy, and any replanted trees will almost certainly never capture as much carbon as the previous forest. Cutting down British Columbian rainforests is just as bad as what is happening in the Amazon. I know British Columbia very well; I have family there. The rainforest and the sea-to-sky highway are magnificent. It is the wildest environment possible, and it needs to stay that way.

    The UK is Europe’s top subsidiser of biomass energy, giving over £1 billion a year to large biomass-burning power stations. Drax receives more biomass electricity subsidies from the UK than from any other country. That prompts the question: should the UK Government really be subsidising that, when we are supposed to be setting an example to the rest of the world in our fight against climate change?

    Currently, the CO2 released from biomass energy is released into the atmosphere. In future, infrastructure may be added to power stations to capture and store the CO2, in a process known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. However, the level of BECCS set out in the net zero strategy could cost an estimated £78 billion by 2050. That is a staggering figure for a source of energy that is harmful to our planet, even with carbon capture technologies. There are clearly far cleaner, cheaper and sustainable sources of energy, such as wind and solar, that the Government should be using that money for instead.

    It is clear that burning trees for energy generation in the UK is not economically sensible or environmentally friendly. However, I believe that in some circumstances burning wood is a sensible practice. Many people in my constituency burn logs for heating in open fires or wood-burning stoves. It is a vital form of heating for many, especially those in rural areas. Wood burners are cheaper to run than oil, gas and electricity, and can reduce a home’s heating costs by 10%. As long as the wood is not from primary woodland—as those trees are more efficient at sequestering carbon than newly planted trees—and the wood itself is unsuitable for wood products, I believe that wood-burning stoves are a viable option for homeowners, especially if they live off grid.

    There is no doubt that we need to protect our forests, such as the ancient woodlands of Ladywell wood, Guestling wood and Brede High woods found in beautiful Hastings and Rye. However, coppicing is necessary. Coppiced wood can be used locally in rural areas to heat homes, as long as the logs are kiln-dried or hard wood. It is therefore vital that people who use log burners stick to the wood-burning stove regulations and use the right wood.

    In the medium to long term, we need to move away from burning wood, especially for energy generation. Climate Minister Lord Goldsmith stated at COP26 that the UK has “real problems” with burning wood for electricity. Similarly, in August this year, when my right hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng) was Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, he admitted that it makes no sense to import US pellets to burn, and that the Government have not fully investigated the sustainability of burning wood pellets.

    We depend on forest and woodland for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. It is crucial that we protect our forests. We should not cut them down and allow them to disappear, no matter where in the world they are.

  • Wera Hobhouse – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Wera Hobhouse – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    I congratulate the hon. Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) on the very good way in which she introduced the debate and on bringing the debate to the Chamber.

    Tackling climate change is the most important issue of our time. The IPCC notes that approximately 3.3 billion to 3.6 billion people live in contexts that are vulnerable to climate change. Between 1970 and 2019 the global surface temperature increased at a higher rate than in any period over the past 2,000 years. Since 1950, the global number of floods has increased by a factor of 15 and wildfires have increased by a factor of seven. This year alone, we have seen floods in Pakistan, drought and famine across east Africa and a heatwave in the UK.

    There is still time to reduce the worst effects of climate change. The World Bank suggests that up to 260 million people could be forced to move within their countries by 2050, but immediate action could reduce that number by 80%. That urgency is why I cannot support the use of bioenergy. Bioenergy is not a renewable energy source. The low density of wood means that, when burned, it emits more CO2 per unit of electricity than coal. That CO2 can be offset only when new trees regrow, leading a large carbon debt to accrue over decades.

    These timescales are much too long to meet urgent carbon budgets. We do not have the time for these emissions to be paid back. Time is not on our side when it comes to the climate disaster. The idea that bioenergy production can offset emissions is based on pure hope. If greenhouse gas removal techniques are not able to balance global carbon budgets, we risk an extra 0.7° to 1.4° of warming above our 1.5° target. That is the issue. We should not take that risk with people’s lives and the health of our planet.

    Like fracking, bioenergy production can also be harmful to local communities. The company that runs Drax power station recently paid up to $3.2 million to settle air pollution claims against the wood pellet factories in the US. Residents in Gloster have spoken of their health declining since Drax began operations in the town in 2014. The health issues include breathing difficulties, dizzy spells, rashes, nosebleeds, occasional burning sensations and irritated eyes when standing outdoors.

    Converting land to grow crops for bioenergy puts a massive strain on nature, soil and water. Energy crops can displace food production to other locations, putting forests and other natural systems at risk in other parts of the world. Meanwhile, intensive monoculture bioenergy crops rely on fertiliser and pesticide inputs, which harm soil health and nature.

    Despite the clear issues presented, the Government continue to massively subsidise industrial-scale bioenergy. Drax receives more than £2 million a day in biomass subsidy, in spite of there being no obvious long-term climate benefit. Let us imagine the difference we could make if the Government put that money into true renewable energy and net zero adaptation. There are 5 GW of onshore wind currently awaiting planning approval, which could be fast-tracked to lower energy bills this winter alone. The UK could develop up to 11.5 GW of tidal stream by 2050, supporting over 14,000 jobs. Weak grid capacity is now the biggest issue holding back renewable energy development, yet the Government continue to stall plans to improve the grid.

    Prioritising true renewable projects over bioenergy solutions is a no-brainer, as is the Government starting to subsidise oil and gas production through their windfall tax. I hope they will start to think straight and not force the people they are meant to serve to pick up the dire consequences of their policies.

  • Pauline Latham – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Pauline Latham – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Pauline Latham, the Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) on securing this important debate, and all right hon. and hon. Members who have contributed so far. This is a crucial issue, and the timing of the debate could not be better. The Government intend to publish their biomass strategy shortly, and I am glad we have the opportunity to make our views known to the Minister in the hope of influencing the soon-to-be-published strategy.

    In February, I published an article highlighting the problems with biomass, and I will set out the two key points from it. The first reason why we should avoid continued reliance on biomass relates to the financial and economic sustainability of biomass energy production, which Members have talked about. The current energy crisis, coupled with the climate crisis, means that we need to transition to renewable energy as quickly and cheaply as possible. In the context of rising bills, every pound of taxpayers’ money that goes into subsidising energy production must have the maximum effect. When wind and solar power technology were still prohibitively expensive, we were led to believe that biomass was the answer to all our problems—a carbon-neutral solution that was comparatively cheap. However, things have turned out rather differently: currently, we are subsiding biomass energy prices to the tune of £1 billion a year.

    Offshore wind power, on the other hand, has been decreasing in price substantially. Since the 2014 contracts for difference auction, the strike price of offshore wind has come down from £155 per MWh to just £37.35 per MWh in 2022. Biomass, meanwhile, remains at over £90 per MWh, and there is no expectation that its price will fall in the years to come; indeed, adding carbon capture and storage to biomass technology will drive the price even higher—never mind the transportation costs. It was not the wrong economic decision in 2014 to favour biomass and to subsidise that technology—it was the best-value renewable option then. However, it would certainly be the wrong decision in 2022, because of the extraordinary improvements that there have been in wind power technology. From a financial perspective, the Government cannot justify subsidising biomass with public money when that money could instead be used to increase the generation of offshore wind.

    The second reason why we should not support and encourage biomass over other renewable energy sources is that its renewable credentials are really very weak. Burning wood pellets actually releases 18% more CO2 than burning coal, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; we only consider it a renewable source because new, replacement trees can absorb that carbon dioxide. However, as has been said, it would take nearly 190 years for the CO2 released by burning trees to be absorbed. At the end of this month, we will have only 27 years left to meet the Government’s target of net zero by 2050, so creating CO2 emissions that will not be absorbed for two centuries should not count as progress towards net zero.

    In theory, biomass is not ideal, although it was acceptable when it seemed cheaper than other renewable sources; in practice, it is far worse. The BBC’s “Panorama” exposed some of the practices at Drax’s biomass generation facilities, including that none of the wood burned is from the UK and that that one biomass power station burns the equivalent of half the New Forest every year—27 million trees. The use of farmland and natural habitats for biomass crops takes away from our efforts to restore nature and halt the decline of species by 2030. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that if bioenergy were produced domestically, biomass production would require 30% of UK agricultural land. We would have to replace the food that that land produces with more from abroad, at a time when we already have a problem with our food security.

    It is clear that there are serious problems, as well as financial concerns, with biomass as an environmentally sustainable power source. There is no doubt that biomass was useful and important as part of the energy mix in the 2010s, but it is completely wrong now. I hope the Minister will confirm that the Government’s biomass strategy limits the role of biomass to a replacement for fossil fuels, not a competitor for renewable energy transition funding. That means reducing or stopping the subsidies for biomass and putting that money into continuing to support domestic forms of renewable energy production such as offshore wind.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Barry Gardiner – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    It is a pleasure to join in the debate, and I pay tribute to the hon. Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) for introducing it. I feel for her: about a decade ago I was in exactly the same position as a Back Bencher trying to tell my Front Bench team that they were mistaken in going down the biomass road. I think the Government are at the point where they will listen; indeed, I hope that is the case because, if they do not, it will make a mockery of all that we are doing on not only climate change but biodiversity.

    I say that in the week that COP15—the Convention on Biological Diversity—is due to meet in Montreal. That is significant because the Drax power station is consuming whole trees from primary forests in British Columbia, in Canada. The Canadian Government should look at that carefully because we are talking not just about the case—ably made by the hon. Member for North Devon and my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington North (Charlotte Nichols)—for looking at what this practice is doing to increase emissions and at whether it can be sustainable in terms of the lifecycle of the trees, but about what it is doing to the wider environment and biodiversity. That is what is so terrifying.

    The hon. Member for North Devon was right to speak about our inability to keep on using land in this way to feed a power station such as Drax. She spoke of an area 1.5 times the size of Wales; the figure I have is three times the size of Wales. Whatever it is, it is clear that this biomass cannot be sourced domestically, if this is to go on. More than that, it cannot be utilised because of the water resource required to produce the pellets for Drax.

    The Department has been asked what the natural absorption rate of the emitted carbon would be if we replenish those lost resources—that is, if we replace those trees to absorb the emitted carbon. It gave an answer—it was, “We do not hold this information.” Well, other people have calculated it, and it is 190 years. We have seven years left until 2030, when the whole world must be on a declining pathway of emissions, and 27 years until 2050, when we have to achieve net zero. So the timescale—even accepting the principle that this is only about carbon emissions and that this is a cycle—is just too long.

    The Government will no doubt talk about how CCS can be married up with BECCS. They will say that if we can capture those carbon emissions, that will make it all right. However, only 44% of emissions released at the Boundary Dam project in Canada were captured. The Government have not been prepared to say that they would hold Drax to what Ember, at least, has said should be the target—95% of emissions captured.

    I want to focus on some of the key lies being told by Drax. I say that advisedly, because I have been to Drax and debated many times with its scientists. Over the years, I have tried to listen carefully to what they have said, and I have given them the benefit of the doubt on occasions. We need to transition away from biomass; I do not think we can simply stop it, and I am not saying that the contract should immediately be cut, but it is certainly not right for the Government to provide the £31 billion of additional subsidies entailed by what is now proposed over the lifetime of the project.

    Drax says that its responsible sourcing policy means that it avoids damage or disturbance to primary and old-growth forest. That is not true, and the “Panorama” programme ably exposed the fact that it is not true. Drax said that many of the trees it had cut down had died and that logging would reduce the risk of wildfires, which shows just how little it knows about biodiversity, because many forests, particularly on the western seaboard of North America, require fire as a stimulant to the germination process. However, the fire spreads quickly; it does not kill the tree, but it does bring about new growth.

    The trees on the entire area covered by the second Drax logging licence have now been cut down. It is simply not the case, as the company said, that the forests have been transferred to other logging licences. It said it does not hold those licences anymore. Again, that was a lie. “Panorama” checked that claim by going to the Government of British Colombia, who confirmed that Drax does still hold those licences. I understand how things progress, and I have no doubt that the company was set up to try to do good. We all thought at that stage that this was really going to be a sustainable way of tackling climate change, but Drax has got further and further into a reality that is now simply leading it to lie to the public. It is time that the Government distanced themselves from that lie.

    The company says it uses some logs to make wood pellets, but it claims that it uses only ones that are small, twisted or rotten. I do not know whether Members have ever seen the process of gathering and taking logs from a forest. The idea that somebody is checking whether they are small, twisted or rotten and that only those are taken back to the power station is complete nonsense. However, when the logs get there, they can be sorted, and surveys at the pelletisation destinations show that only 11% of logs delivered to plants in the last year were classified as twisted, rotten or of the lowest quality, and could be used.

    I am sorry the Government are now considering a further proposal from Drax. I really hope—not only for climate change purposes, but because of the wider biodiversity impact—that they will think very long and very hard, take notice of what the hon. Member for North Devon and my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington North have said today, and just say no. We have to transition away from burning trees. It is a damaging way of using forests, and it cannot be sustained.

  • Peter Bottomley – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Peter Bottomley – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Sir Peter Bottomley, the Conservative MP for Worthing West, in the House of Commons on 6 December 2022.

    I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) and the hon. Member for Warrington North (Charlotte Nichols). I will not repeat what they have said; in fact, I will not say very much, because a meeting of the Ecclesiastical Committee means that I must ask people to forgive me for not staying for the winding-up speeches.

    First, my key point is that we have had a great transition and need to go on making that transition. I have a list of 34 former power stations in London alone, nearly all of which were powered by coal or oil. We have found other ways of generating our electricity.

    Secondly, from when I started to ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for a meeting about Drax and the absurd way in which it was regarded as acceptable renewable power generation, it took nearly a year before we had an informal meeting, part of which was quoted by the hon. Member for Warrington North.

    I hope the Government will pay attention. The Minister will have to say whatever the Minister has to say. Ministers sometimes come to meetings like this with a short bat, if I can put it that way, and they may not be able to announce future policy. However, the practice must be that we do not bring in the 27 million trees a year that have been cited and that we find ways to generate carbon-free renewable electricity, rather than electricity that requires subsidies that are currently too high and will be even higher in future.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (15/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (15/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 15 November 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    Today was a very productive and symbolic day – a day in the Kherson region, in the Mykolaiv region.

    First of all, I had the honor of personally presenting our warriors with state awards. In Kherson, I presented 36 orders of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and “For Courage”, and handed over three more orders to wounded warriors.

    In particular, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the 1st degree. In September, he became the commander of the Kherson operational-strategic group of troops, and we can see the result.

    The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to intelligence officer, sergeant Andriy Orlov. Back in September, he showed extraordinary bravery and effectiveness in battles in the Kherson region. He was wounded and recovered. Returned to the frontline. And already on November 10, as part of a reconnaissance unit, he took part in the liberation of Snihurivka. It was he who raised the Ukrainian flag over the district administration building.

    Of course, there will be more awards, there will be more gratitude. All our warriors who restore freedom to Ukrainians and the Ukrainian land deserve the utmost gratitude. It is so. It will be so.

    I held several meetings today – both in the Kherson region and in the Mykolaiv region. We will do everything to restore normal living conditions for our people.

    It is obvious to everyone what Ukraine is, what the presence of our flag is. When there is a Ukrainian flag, there is civilization, there is freedom. There is social security. There is infrastructure. There is security. There is someone to take care of people. There are all the things that disappear and that are destroyed when the occupier comes.

    This is what the Russian flag means – complete desolation. There is no electricity, no communication, no Internet, no television. The occupiers destroyed everything themselves – on purpose. This is their special operation. On the eve of winter, the Russian occupiers destroyed absolutely all critical infrastructure for the people. Absolutely all important objects in the city and region are mined.

    It is happiness for everyone when Russia is driven out. Happiness, which will also be in those cities and communities of ours, which are deprived of a normal life by Russia both after February 24 and in 2014. We will return everything. We will return normal life. And we know that peace for Ukraine is getting closer. For our entire country.

    In a few hours, I will talk about this in my address to the participants of the… G19 summit in Indonesia. This is an association of very influential states. And today, on the eve of the summit, influential statements have already been made.

    In particular, it is important that the United States and China jointly noted the inadmissibility of any threats to use nuclear weapons. Everyone understands whom these words are addressed to.

    Today, we also have decisions from our partners that strengthen Ukraine’s position. I am grateful to Canada for the new package of defense support for our country in the amount of half a billion dollars. And also for new sanctions against Russian accomplices of tyranny – against the cogs of this system.

    I am grateful to the United States for the new sanctions. Today, sanctions have been introduced against more than 40 legal entities and individuals who help Russia wage a war. Absolutely everyone who in one way or another works for the Russian army, the defense sector, must receive complete personal isolation from the rest of the world. And then there will be punishment for complicity in terror.

    Within the UN, our diplomats worked for a long time with partners to agree on and adopt two very important resolutions. The first of them is supported today – regarding the creation of an international compensation mechanism that will make it possible to compensate all the losses caused by the Russian war, moreover at the expense of Russian assets. The reparations that Russia will have to pay for what it has committed are now part of the international legal reality.

    We are still agreeing with our partners on the second resolution – to create a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. We will do everything to make them both work.

    Today, a meeting of the Coordination Council of Ukraine for Child Protection and Safety co-chaired by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Head of the Office Andriy Yermak was held. I thank Mr. Guterres for that.

    They discussed how to stop the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and return home all those who were forcibly deported. At least these are almost 11 thousand children – we know them by name. But these are only the ones we know about. And in fact, there are more deported.

    The meeting was also attended by the ambassadors of the leading states, whom we call on to help with the implementation of this task. We will really need the power of the whole world to bring back all the deportees.

    I believe that we can ensure it!

    I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine!

    I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our country!

    Eternal memory to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine and our people.

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (14/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (14/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 14 November 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    It is Sunday today. I’m in my office together with our team. The Office is working, Kyiv doesn’t stop, the country works non-stop. Look around – there are always people fighting and working without weekends for the sake of our victory.

    The frontline has no weekends. Rescuers and sappers have no weekends.

    Doctors helping the wounded have no weekends. Doctors helping our children have no weekends as well.

    Ukrainian energy workers fighting against Iranian drones have no rest.

    All our transport workers… truck drivers ensuring both the defense and the rear, Ukrzaliznytsia and all public companies.

    Business, which helps. Volunteers we can’t do without. Military enterprises repairing and manufacturing equipment.

    Diplomats working almost round the clock for 263 days already… Communication workers, security forces, hundreds and hundreds of other spheres, thousands of organizations and enterprises, millions of people.

    All of us already feel the approach of our victory. Because we preserve our unity and know that we are rightfully on our land.

    And I thank our commanders, intelligence and everyone involved for working out our next steps. Liberation steps.

    Stabilization and restoration of law and order in 226 settlements will be ensured in the Kherson region. This is more than 100,000 local residents as of this time.

    We are restoring communication, Internet, television. We are doing everything to restore normal technical capabilities for electricity and water supply as soon as possible.

    We will bring back transport and postal services. We will bring back ambulances and normal medicine.

    Of course, the restoration of the work of authorities, the police, some private companies is already beginning. And I thank the business, which is among the first to participate in the return of normal life.

    Our presence will be felt! It will be felt that there is life.

    But please do not forget that the situation in the Kherson region is still very dangerous. First of all, there are mines. Unfortunately, one of our sappers died, and four others were injured while clearing mines.

    I urge all residents of Kherson to be very careful and immediately inform the rescuers about all dangerous objects.

    Detention of Russian soldiers and mercenaries who were left behind in this territory and neutralization of saboteurs are also ongoing.

    Investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes, the bodies of both civilians and military personnel are being found.

    In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country, where it was able to enter.

    We will find and bring to justice every murderer. Without a doubt.

    The fighting in the Donetsk region is as intense as in previous days. The level of Russian attacks is not decreasing. The level of resilience and bravery of our fighters is the highest. We do not allow our defense to be breached.

    I thank each of our warriors for this!

    As of now, the territory of five of our regions was hit by missile, air and artillery strikes of the occupiers during the day. These are Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zaporizhzhia region, Luhansk region, and Donetsk region.

    We do everything to make the enemy feel our retaliation. To the maximum.

    Along the entire frontline, we ensure the destruction of enemy supply chains, ammunition depots, and enemy headquarters.

    We have to reduce the potential of the occupiers every day – without days off! It saves the lives of our people.

    And we are already very actively preparing for an important week for Ukraine – diplomatic week.

    There will be a G20 summit in Indonesia and our position will be presented.

    In a very meaningful way. We will give answers to many questions that are being asked now. Public answers. So that they are heard by all our people, all our partners, everyone who supports us.

    Already on Tuesday there will be my address.

    I am grateful to everyone who endures this marathon!

    I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our country and freedom for all our people!

    I am grateful to everyone who helps!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (13/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (13/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 13 November 2022.

    Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health!

    Today we all feel enthusiastic together. I don’t know if we have at least one person who hasn’t watched the video of our Kherson people greeting the Ukrainian defenders.

    Months of Russian occupation, months of the mockery of our people, months of stories that Russia is supposedly there forever… And still, there is a sea of Ukrainian flags on the streets. People did not even think of refusing Ukraine. And the world sees it now. It sees what it means when Ukrainians meet their own people. It sees what the unity of Ukrainians means. And it sees why we should liberate our entire land from the invaders.

    We will see many more such greetings. In those cities and villages that are still under occupation. We don’t forget anyone, we won’t leave anyone. Thanks to our defense operations and diplomacy, we will definitely reach our state border – all sections of the internationally recognized border of Ukraine.

    As of this evening, the defense forces have won back control in more than 60 settlements of Kherson region, the police have started taking stabilization measures. Stabilization measures are also ongoing in Kherson itself.

    Everywhere in the liberated territory, our bomb-disposal experts have a lot of work to do. Almost 2,000 explosive items have already been removed – mines, trip wires, and unexploded ammunition.

    Before fleeing from Kherson, the occupiers destroyed all critical infrastructure – communication, water supply, heat, electricity… Ruscists everywhere have the same goal – mockery of people as much as possible. But we will restore everything. Believe me. Although it takes time for this, it is already clear to everyone that the outcome will be ours, the Ukrainian one.

    It is very important now to tell all Kherson residents to be careful and not try to independently check any buildings and objects left by the occupiers. Please, if you have a connection with the townspeople, be sure to pass this on to them.

    There are ten groups of bomb-disposal experts working in Kherson, the police are working, and there are various units of the defense forces. Today, unfortunately, one of our sappers was injured during demining of the administrative building. Therefore, please, dear citizens of Kherson, be careful and inform the police or rescuers about any suspicious objects you see.

    The same concerns residents of other settlements in the liberated territory. Please remain vigilant of your own safety. It is very important.

    Separately, today I want to address all our military personnel who are in other areas of the front, to all those who take care of our security at the borders, to all those who defend Ukraine in the air and at sea, to all those who work for defense in the rear regions.

    This success of ours in the south became possible thanks to the fact that all our defenders honorably perform their tasks. The words of thanks that our defenders in Kherson region are hearing now are words of thanks to all of you. To everyone who fights for Ukraine, who works for our victory and who, at their level, helps and achieves the results our state needs.

    And especially these are words of thanks to those who endure the Russian attacks on Donetsk region – it’s just hell there. There are extremely brutal battles there every day. But our units defend themselves bravely, withstand the terrible pressure of the occupiers, and maintain our defense lines. It is very important. Thanks to the strong defense there, in Donetsk region, we can conduct offensive operations in other directions. I thank all our soldiers who defend Ukraine in these particularly tough battles. Pavlivka, Maryinka, Pervomaiske, Avdiyivka…

    The first and second battalions of the 36th Separate Brigade of Marines, the 79th Separate Assault Brigade, the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 68th Separate Hunter Brigade, the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade and the 55th Zaporizka Sich Separate Artillery Brigade, which supports everyone there… Thank you, soldiers, for your courage, for your bravery!

    And I join the thanks and wishes that have already been heard from the people of Kherson by our fighters of the 28th and 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigades and the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, our intelligence officers, our fighters of the Special Operations Forces and national guardsmen. Well done. Thank you all for the brilliant performance of tasks for the liberation of Kherson!

    It will be the same in Henichesk and Melitopol. We will also come to all our cities and villages of Donbas. We will definitely see how people with Ukrainian flags, which they keep there, will meet the Ukrainian forces in Crimea, and there will be hundreds of them on the streets on the day of liberation.

    I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukrainian victory! I’m thankful to everyone in the world who helps us so much!

    Eternal glory to all those who gave their lives for their native Ukraine!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (12/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (12/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 12 November 2022.

    Ukrainians!

    Strong people of our indomitable, beautiful and united country!

    Today is a historic day. We are regaining the south of our country, regaining Kherson. As of now, our defenders are approaching the city, there is still quite a bit left and we are starting to enter. However, special units are already in the city.

    The people of Kherson were waiting. They never gave up on Ukraine. Hope for Ukraine is always justified – and Ukraine always regains its own.

    I am happy to see how people, despite all the threats, despite the repression and abuse of the occupiers, cherished the Ukrainian flags, believed in Ukraine…

    And even when the city is not yet completely cleansed of the enemy’s presence, the people of Kherson themselves are already removing Russian symbols and any traces of the occupiers’ stay in Kherson from the streets and buildings.

    It was the same in all other cities liberated by our defenders. It will be the same in those cities that are still waiting for our return. Ukraine will come to all its people. Due to our strength on the battlefield and in diplomacy, we will restore the territorial integrity of our state.

    I thank every warrior and every unit of the defense forces who are making this offensive operation in the south possible now. Absolutely everyone – from privates to generals. The Armed Forces, intelligence, Security Service, National Guard – all who were bringing this day closer for the Kherson region. We will name all the heroes soon. And they will be awarded even sooner.

    Shortly after our defense forces reach the designated frontiers, stabilization measures will begin in Kherson, as was the case everywhere. We consistently neutralize the threats.

    The first is mines. The occupiers left a lot of mines and explosives, in particular on vital objects. We will carry out demining.

    It is very important: now, when demining has not even begun, we cannot ensure access of media representatives to Kherson. It is necessary to demine at least basic communications, check the main objects.

    We will restore all conditions of normal life – as much as possible.

    Our defenders are immediately followed by policemen, sappers, rescuers, energy workers… Medicine, communications, social services are returning… Life is returning.

    I would like to separately address those Russian soldiers, mercenaries and collaborators who were left behind in Kherson and other cities of the south. The only chance for salvation for you is to surrender to Ukrainian captivity. We guarantee that you will be treated in accordance with the law and international standards. And to those Russian soldiers who have put on civilian clothes and are hiding somewhere I want to say that there is no point in hiding. We’ll find you anyway. Don’t drag it out. Voluntary Ukrainian captivity is the only option for all occupiers.

    I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. First and foremost is the situation on the frontline, of course, with an emphasis on the developments in the south. But we do not reduce our attention to other areas. We are moving everywhere, reinforcing our positions everywhere. We are holding the line in the Donetsk region.

    Separately, the situation in the energy sector and the course of restoration work were reviewed. Last night, the occupiers dealt another blow to our critical infrastructure. It is because of this that emergency blackouts had to be applied in parts of the country this morning and afternoon. But in most cities and districts we managed to return to the schedule of stabilization energy restrictions.

    And we are working as actively as possible to strengthen our ability to protect the sky and restore everything that the occupiers, unfortunately, destroyed.

    I spoke today with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz. Informed him about the situation in Kherson, generally at the front. I thanked him for the next steps in defense support, we agreed on the development of such cooperation.

    Of course, preparations for the G20 summit were discussed. It is obvious that Russia does not think about peace. Another terrorist attack on Mykolaiv, the destruction of a residential building by a Russian rocket is a clear proof of what really worries Russia: not how to reach peace, but how to inflict the most painful damage… Not how to start real negotiations, but how to hit something with a missile or drone in Ukraine so that Ukrainians suffer…

    Well, Ukraine and the world have the power to punish the terrorists for everything they have done and restore peace. Peace on our terms.

    Our fundraising platform, United24, has launched a fundraising campaign for a fleet of naval drones. I announced that. So, now everyone – and not only in Ukraine, but also in other countries – can join the formation of the world’s first naval drone fleet – something that can provide security to our marine area.

    The first naval drone, for which funds were raised in less than an hour, was named “Kherson”. Quite logical. We will call the second naval drone “Sevastopol”. I believe that all this is bringing the time of the liberation of our Crimea closer.

    I had a meeting with the Lithuanian delegation led by the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania. It is symbolic that her name is Viktorija. And it is on such a day that she is with us. I thanked our Lithuanian friends for their help, for the defense support that we have been receiving since the beginning of the Russian invasion. We discussed a wide range of topics: further cooperation in defense, our reconstruction, European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

    And one more thing.

    Today, another 45 Ukrainian defenders were released from Russian captivity, all of them are warriors of the Armed Forces, soldiers and sergeants.

    We remember all our heroes who are still in captivity. We will return each and every one. Our team – Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk, Lubinets and others – works every day to free all our people from Russian captivity.

    I sincerely thank everyone who cares about Ukraine!

    Glory to everyone who fights for freedom!

    Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by the occupiers.

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (11/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (11/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 11 November 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    Today we have good news from the south.

    The number of Ukrainian flags returning to their rightful place in the framework of the ongoing defense operation is already dozens. 41 settlements were liberated.

    I thank all our heroes who make this advance possible. Armed Forces, intelligence, special services… Everyone.

    And I will especially mention the warriors of the 28th separate mechanized brigade, the 46th airborne assault brigade, the 60th separate infantry brigade and the 128th separate mountain assault brigade. Those who implement offensive actions. Thank you guys!

    Now we are all happy to see how the Ukrainians who remained in the occupied villages and cities meet our warriors.

    Many are now checking almost every hour where our units have reached and where else our national flag was raised.

    But, rejoicing, we should all remember now and always what this movement means, we should remember that every step of our defense forces is the lives of our warriors. Lives given for freedom for Ukrainians. Everything that is happening now has been achieved by months of fierce struggle. It was achieved through courage, pain, and loss. It’s not the enemy leaving. It is the Ukrainians who drive the occupiers out at a heavy cost. Just as in the east of our country, in the Kharkiv region. Just as before, in the north – Kyiv region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region. Now – Mykolaiv region, Kherson region.

    We have to go all the way – on the battlefield and in diplomacy – for our flags, Ukrainian flags, and never again enemy tricolors, to be hoisted on our entire land, along our entire internationally recognized border. It will be so.

    Our warriors are virtually immediately followed to the liberated areas by those who restore all conditions for normal life.

    The first and basic one is demining. The occupiers leave behind thousands of unexploded mines and munitions. I have often heard estimates that clearing Ukraine of Russian mines will take decades. We can’t wait that long.

    We have to do in years what elsewhere in the world could have taken decades after hostilities.

    First of all, houses, social facilities, communications, roads – the entire space of people’s lives – are being demined.

    But the occupiers mine everything: power lines, enterprise buildings, fields, forests.

    At the peak of mine contamination in Ukraine, we had 300,000 square kilometers of dangerous territory.

    Today, thanks to the true heroism of Ukrainian sappers and pyrotechnicians, our rescuers and everyone who helps them, the area of land contaminated by mines and munitions has been reduced.

    Now about 170,000 square kilometers remain for demining. In particular, this is also the case in the most difficult areas – where hostilities are still ongoing, where the enemy will add mines before his retreat, as it is now in Kherson… Plus forests, plus a huge area of fields.

    I am grateful to our partners who are already implementing mine clearance assistance projects. These are the US, Canada and Great Britain, as well as Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Austria, Poland, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, UN structures.

    Any person on earth – everyone who supports Ukraine – can make a personal contribution through our United24 charity platform.

    In particular, thanks to such aid, we have already purchased the first most effective demining machine – Armtrac 400 which is currently operating in the Kharkiv region.

    It covers 1.5 hectares in an hour, fully guaranteeing the disposal of mines. And first of all, it clears the territory along the power lines so that energy workers can fulfill their duties and restore power supply.

    We will add more such equipment and speed up demining wherever we return our flag, our normal Ukrainian life.

    The forces of the National Police immediately follow the warriors to the liberated areas.

    Today, the police entered Kalynivske, Bobrovyi Kut, Yevhenivka, Kotsyubynske and Snihurivka. Stabilization measures began there.

    I had two important phone calls today.

    Together with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom we discussed further defense support for our country and exchanged views of the ongoing frontline operations.

    We are preparing for important international events next week, in particular for the G20 summit, we are coordinating positions with partners.

    Together with the Prime Minister of Canada we also discussed the G20, our initiatives within the UN – we have important draft resolutions that we propose the General Assembly to support.

    Separately, we touched upon the areas of defense and security cooperation that already exist with Canada. We are planning to expand our cooperation.

    There are still important negotiations scheduled for tomorrow.

    Today I also want to thank the Netherlands for another step to strengthen our defense. 100 million euros will go to the fund to support our defense.

    These funds, as well as funds from other partners, will be used to purchase equipment directly from manufacturers and will work for the future. For Ukraine to become stronger.

    And one more thing.

    Today we have the announcement of a new military assistance package from the United States of America. Important means of air defense. Just what we needed, what we asked for.

    Glory to all who fight and work for our country and our people!

    Gratitude to everyone who helps!

    Eternal glory to all those who give their lives for Ukraine and who gave their lives.

    Glory to Ukraine!