TV host quits live on air as he proudly declares: 'I’m off to fight Putin'

TV host quits live on air as he proudly declares: 'I’m off to fight Putin'

WATCH: Moment Ukrainian TV host quits live on air

ICTV
George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 03/02/2024

- 16:40

Updated: 03/02/2024

- 17:50

Orest Drymalovsky told people it was their duty to sign up for the military

A Ukrainian TV presenter quit his show on air, announcing he was going to fight Putin.

Orest Drymalovsky, 29, told his viewers that he was going to be signing up for the Ukrainian military.


The presenter made his announcement on his ICTV programme live on air.

Later, he said it was the "duty" of Ukrainian men to sign up to fight against Putin's forces.

\u200bICTW presenter Orest Drymalovsky quit live on air

ICTW presenter Orest Drymalovsky quit live on air

ICTW

At the end of his news programme Window and Facts, he told ICTV viewers: ‘That’s all for now. And for me it’s a personal finish today.

"This was my last broadcast before I am mobilised to the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

In a later interview, he said: "There is no other way to victory...we have no right to enjoy a peaceful life while the best give theirs for it.

"Believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, help the Armed Forces. Stand up to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

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\u200bThe presenter

The presenter revealed he had considered leaving the country to live in peace

Orest Drymalovsky

It comes as Kyiv is looking to mobilise its forces as the war is set to celebrate its second anniversary later this month.

Drymalovsky added: "I want to work in Ukraine, I want to create a family here and build my own business, I want my future children to live here.

"For all this to happen, the state must be preserved. To save the state, you need to join the army when the state needs it. The logic is as simple as possible."

He admitted he was scared, and said he had prepared for the call-up, taking a first aid course and fire training.

He added: "Is this enough? Of course not...I want to perceive mobilisation as a challenge. I will try to constantly improve my skills in order to be as effective as possible where I will be."

It comes as two Ukrainian government has informed the White House that it plans to fire the country's top military commander overseeing the war against Russian occupation forces.

Sources said there is a move to oust General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who has clashed with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over a range of issues, follows a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year that failed to recover significant amounts of Russian-held territory.

Ukrainian forces are experiencing shortages of critical ammunition. Supplies from the United States, the country's largest arms provider, have run down, and a dispute between the White House and some Republican lawmakers has stalled approval of a new aid package.

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