Azovstal commanders pledge to continue fighting upon return to Ukraine

This is reported by Espreso. 

Denys "Redis" Prokopenko stated that they returned to continue the fight.

"I want to express my gratitude to the president, the Defense Forces, and every soldier who bravely defends our homeland and fights against the occupiers on the frontlines while we were held captive. Their contributions are vital for our independence, our sovereignty, and the integrity of our territory. I firmly believe that the army is a united effort, and starting from today, we will continue the fight together with you. We will have our say in the battle," Prokopenko stated.

The Azov regiment commander highlighted the achievements of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the frontlines.

"The most significant development today is that the Ukrainian army has taken the strategic initiative on the frontlines. Every day, we are advancing, defeating the enemy, and liberating the temporarily occupied territories. We will do everything in our power to expedite this process and bring the war to its rightful conclusion," Prokopenko stated.

Svyatoslav "Kalyna" Palamar quoted a famous Ukrainian poet, Lesya Ukrainka.

"I have always pondered how to metaphorically describe our time in Turkey, without going into details. The only words that come to mind are from the renowned Ukrainian poet, Lesya Ukrainka, the mother of Ukrainian poetry. It is how we felt in Turkey. I have modified her quote slightly to reflect our experience:

'We are paraplegics with sparkling eyes,

great in spirit, small in strength,

We feel the wings of eagles behind us,

but we were chained to Turkish land.'

I would like to thank the President, the entire team, and everyone involved for finding the key, giving it to us, and enabling us to break free from these shackles. We have returned and will continue our work. We are soldiers, bound by an oath," Kalyna stated in a message.

• On July 7, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Turkey and met with the country's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

• Accompanying President Zelenskyy, the commanders from Azovstal who had been in Turkey following the Russian capture have now returned to Ukraine.