On August 24, 2026, Ukraine marked the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its independence. The Ukrainian people were congratulated on the state holiday by President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose address, according to RBC-Ukraine, was delivered on the backdrop of the 1,643rd day of the full-scale war. The head of state emphasized that the taste of this day "has been greatly changed by the war," but the people are holding on "firmly by the hand" to the faith in all Ukrainians: "As long as the enemy does not break this circle, Ukraine will not fall and will be able to."

People as the state's greatest value

In his address, Zelensky stated that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin "got the main thing wrong": the enemy counted resources, stockpiles, and equipment, but failed to account for the people, who, according to the president, are "the greatest value of independent Ukraine." "The Russians considered us their younger brother, but life has proven: we are strangers to them," the head of state noted, adding that hundreds of thousands of volunteers, including teachers, entrepreneurs, and farmers, fight daily for peace and independence.

Military context: air defense and "ballistic terror"

The president recalled that Ukraine's air defense destroys more than 90% of "Shahed" drones, and after the enemy switched to jet-powered drones, Ukraine "learned to shoot them down" as well. Zelensky called for finding a solution against "ballistic terror" and thanked the workers of the defense-industrial complex, stating: "Our stubbornness is not their caliber." He also emphasized that "quiet, calm, safe times" will certainly come, and urged people to take care of themselves, of the memory of the heroes, and of "their Independence."

Contradictory data

The text of the address and the descriptions accompanying it contain minor inconsistencies. First, Zelensky refers to "one thousand six hundred and forty-three days" of the war, which corresponds to roughly 4.5 years since February 24, 2022, yet in another part of his speech he speaks of people who have "these four years" been working at the plants — a formulation that simplifies the chronology. Second, a number of outlets (in particular, 24tv) describe the president's image as wearing a "black vyshyvanka with a special ornament," whereas in the circulated footage he is seen in a plain black shirt with no visible ornament. Both versions relate to details of presentation rather than to the substance of the statement.

Reaction and related context

Against the backdrop of the August 24 celebrations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly congratulated Ukraine on Independence Day and reaffirmed United States support. At the same time, the Security Service of Ukraine addressed citizens with a warning related to strengthened security measures on the holiday. Thus, the 35th anniversary of independence coincided with a combination of diplomatic signals from allies and domestic warnings about risks.