President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine spoke from his workplace in Kyiv on Monday night time, the primary time he had been seen there for the reason that Russian invasion started on Feb. 24.
In a short video posted on his Fb web page, Mr. Zelensky mentioned that he was not hiding, and he was not afraid of anybody.
“We used to say: Monday is a tough day,” he mentioned. “There’s a battle within the nation so daily is Monday, and now we’re used to the truth that daily and each night time are like that.”
Within the video, Mr. Zelensky offered updates on Russian assaults, and likewise mentioned he had signed a decree on Monday to current state awards to 96 “Ukrainian heroes.”
Mr. Zelensky additionally criticized Russian troops for assaults on sure websites on Monday, together with accusing them of firing at a bread manufacturing unit in Makariv, about an hour west of Kyiv.
“Give it some thought — to fireplace on the bread manufacturing unit. Who do you have to be to try this?” Mr. Zelensky mentioned.
The president additionally condemned Russian troops for disregarding an settlement on a humanitarian hall, after shelling prevented evacuation of besieged cities.
“Did it work?” Mr. Zelensky mentioned of the hall. “Russian tanks labored as a substitute.”
In an update on Monday night time, Britain’s protection ministry mentioned that Russian troops continued to instantly goal evacuation corridors, which had resulted in a number of casualties of civilians who tried to flee Irpin, simply exterior Kyiv. It mentioned the city had been with out warmth, water or energy for a number of days due to preventing within the space.
Mr. Zelensky’s nightly video addresses, rallying Ukrainian resistance and world opinion, have turn into one thing of a ritual since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Russian offensives in opposition to a number of main cities have slowed down within the face of logistical issues and unexpectedly fierce defenses.
In his Monday night time message, Mr. Zelensky mentioned {that a} nationwide motion had unfolded within the southern a part of the nation, creating “a nightmare” for Russia.
“We aren’t afraid of tanks and machine weapons,” he mentioned.
Mr. Zelensky mentioned that daily of resistance places Ukraine in a “robust place” to ensure the nation’s future, including that Ukraine will rebuild all the pieces that has been shelled and bombed by Russian forces.
“There will probably be no hint of the enemy,” he mentioned. “We are going to make our cities destroyed by the invader higher than any metropolis in Russia.”