During a working trip to the Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the ceremony of raising the State Flag of Ukraine in the city of Izyum, which was liberated by the Ukrainian military from the Russian invaders.

The ceremony took place in the central square of the city in the presence of defenders of Ukraine. During the raising of the flag, the National Anthem of Ukraine was played.

The President thanked the servicemen who are liberating Ukrainian lands from the enemy.

"I want to thank you for saving our people, our hearts, children and future," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State wished the servicemen health and success.

"The last few months have been extremely difficult for you. Therefore, I am asking you: take care of yourself, you are the most precious we have," he said.

The President emphasized that no occupier will manage to conquer the hearts of Ukrainians.

"Probably, it is possible to temporarily occupy the territories of our state. But it is definitely impossible to occupy our people, the Ukrainian people," Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced.

The Head of State noted that today, when the defenders are liberating Ukrainian lands from the occupiers, the flag of Ukraine acquires special significance.

"Ealier, when we looked up, we always looked for the blue sky, the sun. And today, looking up, we and especially the people in the temporarily occupied territories are looking for only one thing - the flag of our state. It means that the heroes are here. It means that the enemy is gone, ran away," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Those present honored the memory of defenders who gave their lives for Ukraine with a moment of silence.

The Head of State had a brief conversation with the mayor of Izyum Valerii Marchenko regarding the situation in the city.