Ukraine thwarts invaders’ plan: Enemy gains no advantage - Zelensky

He stated this in a video address to the nation, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In each of our cities, the occupiers are being severely rebuffed. Uman, Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donbas, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv – wherever the enemy kills our people, the Armed Forces are doing everything to stop and destroy the occupiers," the head of state said.

He also stressed that Lviv and other cities in western and central Ukraine are targeted in aerial attacks but holding on firmly.

"Kyiv and key cities around the capital are controlled by our Army. The occupiers wanted to block the center of our state and plant their puppets here, as in Donetsk. We thwarted their plan, they did not get any advantage over us," the president stressed.

Zelensky said that in the streets, in the skies of Kyiv, Vasylkiv, Vyshhorod, and even the surrounding fields, a real battle for the capital continues. According to the leader, the enemy has been employing all kinds of weapons and forces against the Ukrainians: missiles, fighter jets, drones, artillery, armored vehicles, saboteurs, and landing troops.

"The occupiers are hitting residential neighborhoods, including with jet artillery, trying to destroy energy facilities. They employ truly vile tactics," the head of state added.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Missile strikes hit a number of Ukrainian cities, as well as military facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

As of the morning of February 26, more than 3,500 Russian servicemen who had been deployed in Ukraine to wage war have been killed.

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