Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov spoke at the IV Crimean Platform Summit held in Kyiv under the auspices of the President of Ukraine.

In his speech, he underscored the personal significance of Crimea, describing it as a key battlefield for Ukraine's freedom.

“For me, this is not just a meeting or an opportunity to communicate with international partners. This is my personal struggle,” Rustem Umerov emphasized.

The Minister pointed out that russia has turned Crimea into a springboard for aggression, using the peninsula to launch missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. He emphasized that Ukraine will not stop until it regains control of Crimea.

“Crimea is my home, and every day I, like millions of Ukrainians, feel the pain of the russian occupation for my state and our people on the peninsula,” the Minister of Defence of Ukraine underlined.

He recalled the notable successes of the Defence Forces in the struggle to de-occupy the peninsula. Particularly, over the past year, thanks to long-range weapons, Ukraine has changed the balance of power in the Black Sea and created a “grain corridor” through which more than 5,000 ships have passed.

“We destroyed 24 russian ships, regained control of Snake Island, and were the first in the world to deploy drone swarm technology to counter the russian fleet,” emphasized Rustem Umerov, “The next step is to ensure security in the entire Black Sea region. And we won't stop until we return Crimea  home.”