Serhii Nayev: “Journalists are important. Together to Victory!”

Members of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) Press Club called We Are From Ukraine – editors of regional and local print media from the de-occupied and front-line territories, NUJU leadership, and representatives of the Union‘s Board and Secretariat – met with Lieutenant General Serhii Nayev, Hero of Ukraine/Commander of the United Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on December 8 in the capital office of the largest creative Union of the state to discuss the most important challenges of our time and develop an algorithm for the joint efforts of the military men and journalists to achieve Victory in the russian-Ukrainian war.

Regarding the situation in the northern border zone of Ukraine with the Republic of Belarus, Lieutenant General Serhii Nayev emphasized that the attempts of the occupiers to penetrate the territory of our state by the forces of subversive and reconnaissance groups do not stop. Just the day before, putin’s thugs made another armed sortie in one of the areas of the Sumy Region. But as a result of the concerted actions of the Defense Forces, after a short but fierce shooting battle, the occupiers retreated, suffering losses.

The Commander of the United Forces of the AFU also drew the attention of media representatives to the increase in the percentage of destroyed enemy air targets by mobile air defense fire groups, and this is also a significant contribution to the fight against the invaders.

The military knows that success in war is ensured by quantitative and qualitative calculations of both its forces and the capabilities of the enemy. At present, as the lieutenant general emphasized, the Defense Forces have enough forces and means in the northern section of the border with Belarus and russia to deter a possible attack by the aggressors. But if the enemy increases its potential in manpower and equipment, it will certainly need to be strengthened, which will be implemented promptly.

Serhii Nayev assured that the situation is under full control, and various options for the enemy’s actions are being considered because “any military person is well aware that it is best to prepare for the worst possible scenario of the development of events in order to act in the best way at the appropriate moment.”

“The war has definitely not ended on any of the areas of the front,” emphasized Serhii Nayev. “That’s why we have to be in constant combat readiness in order to give a proper rebuff to the invaders!”

He rightly emphasized:

“The protection of Ukrainian statehood is a constitutional duty of every citizen of Ukraine.”

Journalists also asked the lieutenant general what happened on February 24, 2022, in the South of Ukraine, in particular, why the enemy was able to advance so quickly and so far deep into our territory.

Of course, this topic is too comprehensive to be fully covered in one answer during one press club meeting. But the Hero of Ukraine, Serhii Nayev, reminded that at the time of the full-scale invasion of putin’s horde, the Combined Forces Command of the AFU had only 12 full-fledged brigades at its disposal, while the enemy had several times bigger troops.

In addition, without the introduction of a special period of martial law, the Ukrainian military at that time did not have the right to build defense structures and fortifications to create engineering barrier systems on lands that belonged to other individuals and legal entities with property rights. Unfortunately, the civil authorities did not have time to buy the relevant land plots from the owners in time for the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Under such circumstances, the enemy tried to carry out a “blitzkrieg,” but thanks to the quickly deployed forces and means, the enemy was stopped, and in many areas of the front, it was pushed back to the state border of Ukraine.

“In many respects, this was achieved thanks to the highest level of patriotism of Ukrainian soldiers and commanders, as well as the unshakable faith of the entire Ukrainian society in our Victory over the ruscist [russian] occupiers,” Lieutenant General Serhii Nayev emphasized.

Concluding the conversation with journalists, Hero of Ukraine Serhii Nayev called on them to pay more attention to ordinary Ukrainian soldiers, who are self-sacrificingly restraining putin’s horde on the front line.

“An ordinary Ukrainian soldier is the main strength of our army, and our people must be constantly told about such Heroes.”

This is very important because, according to the lieutenant general, “the russian occupiers seek to erase everything that was done by Ukraine over the centuries!”

At this point, the war has moved into the plane of resources. A lot depends on the stability and high morale of the Ukrainian defenders; therefore, according to Serhii Nayev, the main mission of Ukrainian journalists should continue to be high-quality and patriotic coverage of the victorious feats of Ukrainian servicemen.”

“Unity is our strength! Together, we will win!” emphasized the Commander of the Joint Forces of the AFU.

At the request of the NUJU, Serhii Nayev awarded a group of media representatives with signs For Service and Heroism:

• With the sign of I degree – editors of Vpered newspaper (Bakhmut) Svitlana Ovcharenko, Novyi Den newspaper (Kherson) Anatolii Zhupyna, and Trybuna Pratsi newspaper (Ivankiv) Pavlo Smovzh;
• With the sign of II degree – editors of the Vorskla newspaper (Velyka Pysarivka) Oleksii Pasiuha, Zoria newspaper (Lyman) Oleksandr Pasichnyk, Obrii Iziumshchyny newspaper Kostiantyn Hryhorenko, Trudova Slava newspaper (Orikhiv) Svitlana Karpenko, Visti Prydniproviya newspaper (Dnipro) by Oleksii Kovalchuk, and the Visnyk Ch newspaper (Chernihiv) Serhii Narodenko,
• With the sign of III degree – editors of the Peremoha newspaper (Krasnopillia) Oleksandr Motsnyi, Visti Snihurivshchyny newspaper Ihor Novikov, Putyvlski Vidomosti newspaper Tetiana Kaushan, Visti (Sloviyansk) by Oleksandr Kulbaka, Zoria newspaper (Zolochiv) by Vasyl Miroshnyk, head of Kyivinform / Vechirnii Kyiv by Yevhen Lopushynskyi, and coordinator of Journalists’ Solidarity Center Mykyta Holovchenko.

The certificate of the Commander of the United Forces of the AFU was handed over to the editors of the publications Holos Huliaipillia Tetiana Velyka, Cherkaskyi Krai Tetiana Kalinovska, Mayak (Bohodukhiv) Tetiana Luchynska, Novyny Horodnianshchyny Svitlana Tomash, Ridne Misto (Myrnohrad) Maksym Zabielia, Zmiyivskyi Kuriyer Oleksandr Sumets, and Visti Barvinkivshchyny Iryna Stolbova.

Lieutenant-General Serhii Nayev left his signature on the national flag of Ukraine for journalists, on which the following words are written:

“Journalists are important. Together to Victory!”

The meeting was moderated by the President of the NUJU, Sergiy Tomilenko. The First Secretary of the NUJU, Lina Kushch, secretaries of the NUJU, officer of territorial defense forces of the AFU Volodymyr Danyliuk, Zoya Sharykova, and Mykola Semena, other participants of the substantive dialogue with General Serhii Nayev also took part in the meeting and delivered their speeches.

NUJU Information Service