РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Address of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov on the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity (February 18-20)

Four years ago, the regime of the Kremlin puppet Yanukovych crossed the Rubicon. From January 2014, security forces teamed up with the ordinary organized crime and started to kidnap, torture and kill defenders of the Maidan.

But on February 18, Yanukovych took the final decision to drown the whole Maidan in blood. On that day, they launched a "counterterrorist operation" where instead of terrorists there were Ukrainian people - patriots who did not want to be sold in bulk to the Russian empire but sought to live in a free, democratic, European country.

In the morning on the Institutska Street and the Mariinsky park, the regime was using weapons against the peaceful march of protesters.

In the evening, after the so-called Ultimatum, the largest assault on the Maidan began. The fire circle, which protected us from armed attackers, was shrinking every hour. The Trade Unions Building, where the Resistance headquarters was located, was set on fire. I remember the moment when even on the stage you could feel the heat from the flame that burned around. On February 18 only, 26 patriots were killed, over 250 were seriously injured.

At night, there was a tiny area of freedom around the stage, but we withstood. And this was the beginning of the collapse of the Russian puppets' regime. Next, there was the heroic breakthrough on February 20, when unarmed people with sticks, in construction helmets and with plywood shields, stood up to assault rifles and machine guns...

This was how the Yanukovich regime fell, and the Revolution of Dignity won!

The Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, the heroes who went forward, became our glory by writing the history of victories of our state with their blood! May the memory and glory of the Heroes, who gave their life for our freedom and independence, live forever!

We are responsible to them for the destiny and future of our country!

God is with us, the truth is with us, and the victory will be with us!