Ukrainian president commemorates Victory Day over 'Nazism'

ANKARA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday marked the country's Victory Day over Nazism during World War II.

"Today we celebrate the Day of Victory over Nazism and we will not give anyone a single piece of our history," Zelenskyy said in a video on his Telegram channel.

"We are proud of our ancestors, who together with other nations in the anti-Hitler coalition, defeated Nazism," he noted.

Highlighting Ukraine's role in the victory over Nazism in World War II, he said: "Our enemy dreamed that we would refuse to celebrate May 9 and the victory over Nazism so that the word 'denazification' gets a chance. Millions of Ukrainians fought Nazism and went through a difficult and long journey."

Russia claims that it launched its "special military operation" to stamp out Nazism in Ukraine. Moscow also held Victory Day events in Red Square on Monday to mark the Allied victory in World War II.

The successes against Nazis in World War II "give us faith that we will drive the occupiers out of our own land for sure," he added.

"On the Day of Victory over Nazism, we are fighting for a new victory. The road to it is difficult, but we have no doubt that we will win. (...) Very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine."

At least 3,309 civilians have been killed and 3,493 others injured in Ukraine since the war with Russia began on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is feared to be much higher.

More than 5.8 million people have fled to other countries, with some 7.7 million people internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.