Ukraine, ICC launch probe into terrorist attack at Kakhovka HPP – Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his address at the end of day 473 of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Ukrinform reports.

Dear Ukrainians!

Today we managed to return 95 more of our people from Russian captivity, 31 of them are defenders of Mariupol. Most of them are privates and sergeants, two officers. The Armed Forces, the National Guard, the border guards. I am grateful to our team involved in the exchanges: Budanov, Yermak, Malyuk, Lubinets. Thank you for this result. Well done, guys! We have to get every Ukrainian man and woman out of Russian captivity.

We are also continuing our rescue operation in the south of Ukraine, and we have managed to evacuate about 4,000 people. Dozens of towns and villages remain flooded, with the worst situation still in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region.

Again and again, we thank our people: the military, police, and rescuers. I would also like to thank volunteers, doctors, local authorities - everyone who is helping to rescue people after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant disaster, and especially those who are helping to get people out, including those from the occupied territories. It is extremely difficult and dangerous, and it is a special kind of heroism. Thank you for every life saved!

Russian terrorists continue to shell evacuation routes, evacuation points, boats that take people away... Today, as a result of one of these attacks, three people were killed, my condolences to their families and friends... Ten more people were injured, including two police officers. It was an evacuation from Kardashynka, a village on the left bank of Kherson region... The occupiers created this disaster by blowing up a dam, leaving people to their fate in flooded towns and villages, and then shelling the boats that are trying to take people away... Even beasts are more moral than you, Russian state.

These days, representatives of the International Criminal Court visited Kherson region. On the very first day after the disaster, the Prosecutor General sent a request to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to investigate the disaster, and the work has already begun.

It is very important that the representatives of international justice have seen the consequences of this Russian act of terrorism with their own eyes and heard for themselves that Russian terror continues. And it continues with the most cynical and brutal shelling of the flooded territory, the evacuation area... We are already facilitating and will continue to facilitate the most independent and objective investigation by the International Criminal Court. All our law enforcement and other institutions are involved in this process to the fullest extent possible. We provide full access to the affected areas, to witnesses, to all information and evidence. This investigation is very important for the security of the whole world.

Full and fair accountability for Russian terrorists and the terrorist state itself is a prerequisite for preventing such evil from happening again in the world.

Today, our state has taken another sanctions step. Against those who serve the evil that the Russian state has become. Against those who helped to destroy freedom in Russia and play a key role in the repressions on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and in Russia itself. 178 of these individuals were added to our sanctions lists at the request of the Security Service of Ukraine. And we will do everything to make sure that each and every one of these accomplices of the Russian dictatorship is held accountable for everything they have done against people and freedom. For every broken destiny and every criminal decision that helped Russia turn into a terrorist state.

And one more thing. Of course, I am grateful to our warriors for this day. To each of our combat brigades, each of our units. The Khortytsia and Tavria operational and strategic groups of troops - all those who are now in combat, all those who are in positions, all those who are helping... I thank you! Thank you for every step, for every battle, for every destroyed occupier!

Glory to our heroes! Glory to all who defend the life of Ukraine and Ukrainians!

We will win!

Glory to Ukraine!