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Confident: Volodymyr Zelenskyj
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IMAGO/Ukraine Presidency/Ukrainian Pre/IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
Despite the ongoing Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has encouraged his compatriots.
"We all feel our victory approaching," Zelenskyj said in his daily video message.
"There are always people who fight and work for our victory." Zelenskyy thanked the soldiers, doctors and diplomats who have been on duty in Ukraine around the clock for more than 260 days since the start of the Russian war of aggression.
More than eight and a half months after the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian army had a great success last week: After successful counter-offensives, the Russians in the southern Cherson region withdrew from the regional capital of the same name and other locations to the east bank of the Dnipro River.
Zelenskyy: 400 committed war crimes
The withdrawal represented a bitter defeat for Russia. Cherson was the only regional capital that the Russian troops had captured.
For Moscow, the region is also of great strategic importance in order to be able to continue the offensive in the direction of Mykolaiv and the Black Sea port of Odessa.
In his video speech, Zelenskyi reported on "atrocities" by Russian soldiers in the now recaptured parts of the Cherson region.
Investigators have uncovered more than 400 Russian war crimes.
"The bodies of the dead were found: civilians and soldiers," said Zelenskyy.
He announced that "every murderer" would be found and brought to justice.
atb/dpa/AFP