Throughout all four years of the full-scale war, Ukrainian soldiers, sergeants, and officers have demonstrated every day that, despite shortages of personnel, weapons, and resources, it is possible to effectively resist a numerically superior enemy if priorities are set correctly. This is the central lesson of this war: the decisive factor is not hardware, money, or technology, but people.
People who, in the most demanding conditions under constant shelling, repel enemy assaults, counterattack, and capture prisoners for exchange. People who, under fire on the battlefield, save the lives of wounded brothers-in-arms. People who work in the rear across dozens of roles so that those in the trenches may have it at least slightly easier. People who make every effort at every level to bring our prisoners home.
Each of them could have fled, hidden, avoided responsibility, or refused to risk life and health. Yet for nearly five years, hundreds of thousands have stood firm. Thanks to these people, their decisions, and selflessness, Ukraine continues to live and fight. That is why Ukraine must remember every day who its greatest asset is and treat these people accordingly.
The entire Azov system, from personnel training and operational planning to the provision of timely medical care for the wounded and the extensive infrastructure surrounding the unit, is built on this principle: the life and health of our personnel are our highest priority and greatest value. Comprehensive professional development, continuous training, and the establishment of clear internal processes designed to simplify service rather than create additional burdens have always received maximum attention in Azov. The unit’s success on the battlefield confirms that this course is the right one.
Only a unit in which commanders at every level see their subordinates not as a resource for personal career advancement but as people for whom they bear responsibility, whom they must train, support, and properly equip, can be effective in combat, continue to develop, and serve as an example to others. This is what Azov was before the start of the full-scale invasion, and this is what it remains today. I am proud that the officers of all brigades of the First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine share this vision.
Today, we must unite around a shared purpose, constantly learn from one another, and remain flexible enough to adapt quickly to the evolving conditions of war. Otherwise, there will be no Ukraine. The enemy understands that division among Ukrainians is its only chance to realize its plans and occupy our state, and it is doing everything possible to split us. Preventing that division and carrying out our duties with integrity, guided by our values and priorities, is what we must focus on today.